I Get It...

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Okay. Before I begin, allow me to preface my commentary with the following. 

First, my knowledge and understanding of taxation is limited to IB Economics HL. And, second, as I transitioned into the labour force, my capacity to care about taxation was limited to two questions: (1) how much do I owe; and (2) is it fair?

Having said this, let's talk about the Treasury's plan to raise PAYE (income tax) to 35% for individuals earning Ksh 500,000. 

My first response to this was, good. Great. In Lizzo's words, "about damn time." If you make more money in a month, than an average Kenyan could make in 2 years, then you deserve to be taxed at a higher rate. In fact, this level of taxation would fulfil the very purpose for which taxes are collected; which is the aggregation of national wealth to enable its' redistribution to the most vulnerable in our communities. However, as a Kenyan (and quite honestly, a person on track to – hopefully – exceed this monthly wage) I have a number of questions and concerns. 

Namely, where will the, approximately KSh 142,059.35 I pay per month go? Will it be used to distribute wealth equitably in our society? Or will it merely enable Kenya's gross level of corruption – at last count, KSh 2 billion per day? In essence, why should I, or anyone quite frankly, trust this Administration when it is tainted by politicians who have, allegedly, benefited from corruption? Why should I trust a Parliament that has consistently shown greater concern for the wages of its Members than for the welfare of the people it represents, to use public funds responsibly?  

Why should I continue to invest in a nation that has consistently shown its' complete disregard for its people? What has the government done to earn my trust? In the absence of this trust, paying my taxes becomes an even greater burden as you recognise that you're income is being siphoned to benefit a select few. Put simply, paying your taxes becomes a cosmic joke. 

Yet, there's something rotten and disingenuous about this reasoning. It masks an, inherently, understandable desire to not pay my taxes. To be incredibly honest, I don't like seeing the money that I earned leave my paycheck. It is physically painful because it triggers a fundamental fear; that I will be poor in a world that abuses and oppresses the poor. Even though, this isn't what's happening. It's not like the government is taking all of my money. More importantly, IT'S NOT LIKE I EARN THAT MUCH ANYWAY (right now). And that "right now" is part of the problem. Because, in my mind, I think of my current income level as temporary and on track to rise. So I want to protect my future interests. Even though they are neither guaranteed nor inevitable. My desire to protect these interests will see me shoot myself in the foot and oppose a policy that will, genuinely, benefit me. 

And this is because, at that moment, I completely forgot a cardinal truth about the world. It's a very simple, but incredibly firm; "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!" You don't pay your taxes so that you can benefit. You pay them so that your neighbour can. And they, in turn, pay their taxes so that you may benefit. While it matters that the Government does not have a track record of using public funds effectively, I'm not entirely sure if this is a valid reason to completely write off my tax obligations. Nor is it a valid excuse to think with my future wallet, rather than my present reality. Especially since, when the Government (sometimes) gets it right, the impact ripples through the country. Enriching everyone's lives (looking at you Linda Mama, Free Primary and Secondary Education and NHIF Bed Cover).

Still, I struggle with the Government's plans because I trust the Kenyan Government, about, as far as I can throw them. Even though I believe they are right to tax the ultra-wealthy (my future self included), I do not trust them to use those funds responsibly and empathetically. But is this a good enough reason to oppose this policy?

God, I wish I could say no without reservations. 

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