So today I woke up feeling very patriotic enough to pay my honest taxes. In Matatu parlance it is called 1080 aka advanced tax. First I went to several cyber cafes looking for ' those who know' how to generate the pay slip. To do that you must open an itax account. Then you have to join the long queue at Equity Bank. They give you a slip to take to another longer queue at KRA. They generate a confirmation slip. Am still asking myself why in this age of mpesa, why I must walk with a batch of papers across town just to pay my honest part of national building

All local taxes do is pay fat salaries/allowances and contribute towards Waiguru type schemes. Nation building is done with donor funding kikiumana.

And remember to ask them to issue you with a certificate for advance collection. Submit the certificate with the annual returns and hola you are done.

That way, the beneficiaries get the tax money without having to collect it at some basements on Moi Avenue.

You can also pay by Mpesa. Been doing so for rental income taxes.

That's how the system is beaten. The Emirates lands at Eldoret Airport (is it every week?) with about 20 trucks lined up for loading ... Customs agents are supposed to clear those goods and sometimes they do get the IDF only that the declared value for a whole Emirates can be much much less.

I may not say much on legality, but the taxman knows there were challenges and requirements for importers, consolidators and the general public are highlighted here: March 29, 2016

Julius Musyoki, the KRA commissioner of customs and border control, said clearance documents for the imports through the airport shall include a packing list with details like name of importer or cargo owner, PIN, passport or national ID, phone contact and physical address.

Other details, he said, are a description of goods, stating quantities and values among others.

“Importers who employ the services of cargo consolidators are advised to submit the required information through their consolidator prior to the arrival of the goods to facilitate prompt clearance,” the commissioner said in a notice.

A consolidator is a person or a company that combines different consignments for different importers in to one lot who delivers each cargo to each consignee.

“The importers, consolidators and the general public are further notified that with effect from April 6, 2016, no importation through the Eldoret Airport will be processed by Customs unless all requirements are fulfilled,” he said.

The airport has in recent years become popular with cargo flights seeking to avoid lengthy queues at the busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

The amount of tax that ha been lost through this system for years is unbelievable. Not just Eldoret.... even Mombasa port. What do you think has build Eastleigh. I can tell you this will never be eliminated until the day we will elect clean guys at the top. If KRA, puts too much pressure, which I doubt because of the enticement with huge bribes from the traders, they will approach the political establishment looking for favours in return to political support

Thank you. Kenya must have gone to the dogs a long time ago if such serious tax evasion takes place and never reported anywhere.. and even the opposition never mentions it. Joining them on the table is good in the short term, in the long run, you can even go bankrupt when the same KRA people pounce on you and ask you to account.. again serious bribes will have to be given to KRA guys..

Interesting, if that is the case.. Joining them is the solution