The revenue institution now dictates that only new products worth more than Sh75,000 will be subjected to taxation.
Speaking to members of the press, KRA’s acting deputy commissioner for policy and international affairs David Ontweka came to the rescue of the revenue authority by clarifying that contrary to what had been earlier communicated not all goods were subject to taxation.
”KRA will not tax everything you are coming with, we only tax goods you purchase which are valued at USD 500 and are more than one,” Ontweka stated.
The commissioner’s clarification comes hours after Kenyans expressed their displeasure with the earlier decision on taxing both new and old products.
The national taxman had taken to the official X account to share the new developments with the citizens.
“Remember when travelling you will be allowed to carry personal or household items worth USD500 and below. Anything above the amount shall be subjected to tax,” the tweet read.
KRA was under extreme fire from netizens not only for their decision to revisit the required taxes but also for the bad manner in which they treat Kenyans, especially at customs duty in the airport.
“With the way KRA is handling arrivals at JKIA, Kenya is going to lose a lot of travelers and a lot of goodwill. You’d think the revenue they collect from harassing arrivals would fund our budget. We are a failed country. We can’t see it yet. Someone’s items have been scattered all over. Someone’s personal iPad has been confiscated. It’s weird.” a tweet that elicited the whole saga read.
The KRA saga comes days after the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Alfred Mutua castigated the institution for allegedly harassing international tourists which has led to a decrease in the number of return tourists Kenya gets in a year.