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M7 Social Media TAX -Excellent
Rank: New-farer Joined: 4/13/2017 Posts: 12
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Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services.
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/20/2007 Posts: 767
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timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. I agree with you on the end user paying. But I still feel FB benefits unfairly from the data collected from collective Kenyans. The methodology of making FB to pay may be fuzzy but from a philosophical point of view they should pay. Govt should impose a tax and work on collecting it. Just like we did with free primary education and NHIF. Declare then work out the nitty gritty. They must find it difficult....... those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. -G. Massey.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/26/2012 Posts: 15,980
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timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. Do you get taxed when you show up at Tuskys and don't buy anything? "There are only two emotions in the market, hope & fear. The problem is you hope when you should fear & fear when you should hope: - Jesse Livermore
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/26/2012 Posts: 15,980
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tom_boy wrote:timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. I agree with you on the end user paying. But I still feel FB benefits unfairly from the data collected from collective Kenyans. The methodology of making FB to pay may be fuzzy but from a philosophical point of view they should pay. Govt should impose a tax and work on collecting it. Just like we did with free primary education and NHIF. Declare then work out the nitty gritty. Do you use fb? If so how do they benefit from the data you gave them? "There are only two emotions in the market, hope & fear. The problem is you hope when you should fear & fear when you should hope: - Jesse Livermore
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Rank: Elder Joined: 10/4/2006 Posts: 13,823 Location: Nairobi
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the debate about taxes is very simple... GAVA WILL ALWAYS TAX WHAT IT CAN GET AWAY WITH. plain and simple. everything else is putting lipstick on a pig. sijui social evils sijui excise.. sijui luxury goods... all that is mdomo... after the fact justification. if they could - they would tax githeri, unga and omena however they know they risk a tax revolt as most and at best being kicked out at the polls. Of course gava would try all things to make sure that you don't remember that it's all a made up thing. not a real thing... just a bunch of people instructing other people to do stuff for them. And since they cannot tax Facebook the company only countries where facebook operates can - the only way is to put a toll on individuals. The question is... will it stick? is FB githeri ama omena? All Mushrooms are edible! Some Mushroom are only edible ONCE!
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/20/2007 Posts: 767
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murchr wrote:tom_boy wrote:timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. I agree with you on the end user paying. But I still feel FB benefits unfairly from the data collected from collective Kenyans. The methodology of making FB to pay may be fuzzy but from a philosophical point of view they should pay. Govt should impose a tax and work on collecting it. Just like we did with free primary education and NHIF. Declare then work out the nitty gritty. Do you use fb? If so how do they benefit from the data you gave them? I don't. However, the data is useful to them when it comes to targeted advertisement. Most people think they are in control of their purchasing habits. This is far from the truth. Advertising and marketing has the ability to shift spending habits of a whole community. With your data, facebook can connect you directly with people selling things you would be likely to buy. Advertising creates the psychological need for the product then you go off and buy it. They must find it difficult....... those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. -G. Massey.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/18/2011 Posts: 12,069 Location: Kianjokoma
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Does Uganda still have poll tax? Administration is going to be tough. What if I'm like some of my colleagues who only access whatsapp using the office Wi-Fi? What if I have 2 lines?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 4/1/2009 Posts: 1,885
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Lolest! wrote:Does Uganda still have poll tax?
Administration is going to be tough. What if I'm like some of my colleagues who only access whatsapp using the office Wi-Fi?
What if I have 2 lines? believe they shall merely tax the airtime purchase. so regardless of whether you use the social media or not, if you buy airtime you pay it.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/26/2012 Posts: 15,980
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tom_boy wrote:murchr wrote:tom_boy wrote:timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. I agree with you on the end user paying. But I still feel FB benefits unfairly from the data collected from collective Kenyans. The methodology of making FB to pay may be fuzzy but from a philosophical point of view they should pay. Govt should impose a tax and work on collecting it. Just like we did with free primary education and NHIF. Declare then work out the nitty gritty. Do you use fb? If so how do they benefit from the data you gave them? I don't. However, the data is useful to them when it comes to targeted advertisement. Most people think they are in control of their purchasing habits. This is far from the truth. Advertising and marketing has the ability to shift spending habits of a whole community. With your data, facebook can connect you directly with people selling things you would be likely to buy. Advertising creates the psychological need for the product then you go off and buy it. They dont take your data and "target market" What you do when you like those pages is just define what you are to them(Male, age, likes sports, likes Adidas, then gauge the number of times you login and the amount of time you spend there). You GIVE THEM YOUR DATA. Then they reach out to the marketers who have existing FB profiles (participants on this notice board IN THEIR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCY EU and US) and tell these people, hey...x number of people like what you do. For a fee would you like us to show them what you sell? If they agree everyone liking Adidas gets an advert placed by the side of their profile. You as a user, you are under no obligation to view the ad or click on the link, if you are REALLY interested, you may click to see what its about, otherwise its a choice. Not like TV where you have no choice. So even Tomboy in Kenya who happens to like Adidas on FB may have a link showing "new world cup ball on sale" on the side of his page. If tomboy decides to click on the link, then he is directed to the Adidas page showing the ball. If he decides to purchase the ball...he'll pay taxes in US and any other custom taxes that arise when the ball gets in Kenya. In short FB is like your online TV which is accessible everywhere, if I happen to watch a commercial on NTV live or Citizen Live while in China, the Chinese have no right to show up at Nation center demanding some tax. So FB is an enabler in Ecommerce, not really a shop, everyone wanting services from FB are purchasing the service from California, you just have access. "There are only two emotions in the market, hope & fear. The problem is you hope when you should fear & fear when you should hope: - Jesse Livermore
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Rank: Member Joined: 2/20/2007 Posts: 767
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murchr wrote:tom_boy wrote:murchr wrote:tom_boy wrote:timuka2 wrote:Interesting debate!
Taxing FB would definitely be a toll order. However, could it be viewed as follows.
FB is a US based service provider and therefore paying taxes in the US. The Kenya based user of FB is an importer of a service provided by a US based company via a digital channel. The data charges by the Kenya based telcos to the FB user is therefore equivalent to shipping costs. The telcos are therefore taxed in their own right as "shipping agents" since data is one of their revenue/profit channels which are subject to tax.
As the user, you are importing and consuming a service from a US based company, FB, and therefore citizen bound to pay import duty tax just like any other importer of goods and services. I agree with you on the end user paying. But I still feel FB benefits unfairly from the data collected from collective Kenyans. The methodology of making FB to pay may be fuzzy but from a philosophical point of view they should pay. Govt should impose a tax and work on collecting it. Just like we did with free primary education and NHIF. Declare then work out the nitty gritty. Do you use fb? If so how do they benefit from the data you gave them? I don't. However, the data is useful to them when it comes to targeted advertisement. Most people think they are in control of their purchasing habits. This is far from the truth. Advertising and marketing has the ability to shift spending habits of a whole community. With your data, facebook can connect you directly with people selling things you would be likely to buy. Advertising creates the psychological need for the product then you go off and buy it. They dont take your data and "target market" What you do when you like those pages is just define what you are to them(Male, age, likes sports, likes Adidas, then gauge the number of times you login and the amount of time you spend there). You GIVE THEM YOUR DATA. Then they reach out to the marketers who have existing FB profiles (participants on this notice board IN THEIR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCY EU and US) and tell these people, hey...x number of people like what you do. For a fee would you like us to show them what you sell? If they agree everyone liking Adidas gets an advert placed by the side of their profile. You as a user, you are under no obligation to view the ad or click on the link, if you are REALLY interested, you may click to see what its about, otherwise its a choice. Not like TV where you have no choice. So even Tomboy in Kenya who happens to like Adidas on FB may have a link showing "new world cup ball on sale" on the side of his page. If tomboy decides to click on the link, then he is directed to the Adidas page showing the ball. If he decides to purchase the ball...he'll pay taxes in US and any other custom taxes that arise when the ball gets in Kenya. In short FB is like your online TV which is accessible everywhere, if I happen to watch a commercial on NTV live or Citizen Live while in China, the Chinese have no right to show up at Nation center demanding some tax. So FB is an enabler in Ecommerce, not really a shop, everyone wanting services from FB are purchasing the service from California, you just have access. That's the simplified version they would have you believe. If that was the case why do they require all those permissions. Why were they accused in meddling in elections. How does FB establish and save/record my political affiliations. Why do they do social experiments on users without their consent. Why are other sites like gmail accused of scanning private email. Why do they need to do all these things if all FB is waiting for is for me to click and give them more info on myself. Your explanation is too simplistic. FB collects data on your location, can gauge your income level, knows what phone you are using, what sites you are visiting, your phone contacts, etc, so much more info than you voluntarily give when you sign up. It uses this info to specifically tailor advertising to you based on your location and expressed and not so obviously expressed preferences. They must find it difficult....... those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. -G. Massey.
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M7 Social Media TAX -Excellent
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