HH Says Zambians Are Subjected To Over 90% In Taxes

United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has charged that instead of putting more money in people’s pockets as promised, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government was taking away even the little individuals earn through too many taxes.

Speaking in Lusaka recently, Mr Hichilema observed that despite Zambians already being subjected to paying too many taxes; the Government continued to burden them with more other taxes such as the withholding tax on rentals.

This tax charged on rents or lease payments to a landlord is a part of the landlord’s income tax obligation but is payable through withholding by the tenant. In Zambia the law requiring landlords to pay 10 percent withholding tax to ZRA was passed between 1992 and 1994.

The opposition leader had since accused the ruling PF of being cruel for over taxing its people. He said that because of over taxing, most households were facing starvation.

“Let me show you how cruel this Government is. If you run a business you are required to pay 35 percent tax. If you are employed, you pay; Pay As You Earn, 37.5 percent. VAT, whenever you go to buy things in a shop you pay 16 percent. If you own a car and want to sell; you will have to pay 10 percent property transfer tax.

“Manje uli na kanyumba, you will have to pay withholding tax on rentals 10 percent. Just add these plus a few other taxes. Each individual, you are close to 80 percent of anything you gain. Boma yatenga 80 percent iwe wasala na 20 percent. Manje yamene yasala 20 percent, it doesn’t end there; uendeku Kabwe along the road you pay toll gates. You pay 3 percent education levy. If you have a house, you pay ground rates and rates to Lands and the council. If you are a small trader you pay preservative tax,” Mr Hichilema said.

And Mr Hichilema accused the PF of dividing Zambians by referring to others as being tribal. He had since expressed the need to reunite the people, saying those propagating tribal divisions were challenging God.

“God put you in this beautiful country, every language you speak is superior and is the same as the one speaking the next language. We must reunite our people because PF is basically dividing us,” he said.

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