Timothy Kimani alias Njugush has weighed on the proposal to introduce a 15 per cent withholding tax on digital content creators.
Speaking during an interview on Hot 96, the comedian decried that the proposed plan was unfair to digital creators considering the fact that the majority of the creators have in the past resorted to sorting financial assistance from the public.
"When the President said that me and Butita earn more than him I knew that there was a problem. I knew there was a narrative that was being sold that content creators make so much money. However, for me I feel that is unfair because the same content creators…I saw Jalang'o saying that some of us are showing cars but at the same time he didn't mention that a lot of us are posting pay bills for maisha inawaendea mrama," he stated.
He subsequently decried that the government was overlooking the returns from content creation in order to milk as much as they can from digital creators. He also complained that the amount proposed was more than what professionals were taxed.
"Point is it's true that there is money but it's not in that magnitude. We have pastors going in chase cars but we never look at that but look at content creators and how to milk money from them," he stated.
"15 per cent is too much, other professions are paying 5 per cent kwani sisi tunatoa pesa wapi content creators. I feel its going to be very unfair for us because those people who are apparently showing wealth and are well-off have ways of paying taxes. You can not be all that and KRA hawajakutafta," he added.
Njugush further wondered how the tax proposal would be implemented since some content creators were only doing it for fun while others had an incorporated company that acted as an unbrella to all ther creative works.
"What I've done, I have an incorporated company, I have a limited company where everything from emceeing to online I put together and pay my corporate taxes 30 per cent. I do my 16 whatever, I do everything. With this Finance Bill 2023 coming into place does that mean the 15 per cent aside from the taxes I will need to pay 15 per cent?" he wondered.
