Kenya Revenue Authority and athletes had a successful workshop in Iten at Keellu Resort to discuss matters of double taxation and athletes’ harassment at the KRA customs at the airport.
The meeting, which brought together top world athletes and KRA officials, said they will be having regular meetings to mitigate the gap between taxman whom the athletes complain of double taxation.
Jonah Cheptegoch, the Manager at Kenya Revenue Authority in-charge of domestic taxes department faced questions from athletes who complained of double taxation and harassment at the customs especially at Kenyatta International Airport.
“We wanted to sensitize them on taxation on sports persons and we have an interactive session. We have sensitized them on the importance of being complaint and mostly on taxation on winnings when they go out the country and they get income. We have taught them on how to make declarations for purposes of taxation. We also sensitized them on the countries that Kenya has taxation agreement with because when they go out there and compete in sports and any tax that they have pain inform of holding, they are allowed to claim as credit while making declaration in the income that they have earned.
“We have told them about custom and exercise management act that spells out what is allowable for one to come into the country that personal effects and shown them the law requires them to come with personal effects where they are supposed to pay duty and the exempted once. Our work is to implement the law and we have discussed with them that they can write a memorandum to A.K.” added Cheptegoch.
At the same time, Kenyan athletes will write a memorandum of understanding to Athletics Kenya to help to stop exercise duty on offers and training by Kenya Revenue Authority.
Athletes complained that some of their presents, trophies among other valuables are left at the airport to avoid taxation.
Elias Kiptum said: “We have been facing some challenges at the airport especially at the customs. We are forced to pay on good that we have been offered either for training or after winning. But once we get this taxation sensitization, will guide us especially some of us who runs out of the country that were supposed to declare our assets once we arrive in the country,” said .
He added that many athletes may fear that they are taxed twice.
“We need to come up with a memorandum to athletics Kenya to present it to the ministry of Sports so that we are exempted from some taxation,” added the runner.