Matthew has been forced to give 30 bribes since the year began. First, it was to get a letter from the L.C. 1, and then it was to get an appointment or to have police assistance, among others. Even when he wanted to visit his brother, who had been arrested, he was told to pay for ‘tea’ before he could do it. While listening to the radio, he heard an announcement about paying taxes to build the nation. He wanted to know if he should pay taxes if some people are corrupt.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
By law, every person who is above 18 years old may have to pay tax in one way or another. This is because there are different types of taxes. For example, there is a tax known as income tax which must be paid by all types of people who make money from within the country.
Other taxes include P.A.Y.E., which is a tax on your salary from employment(your job). Some other taxes are not direct such as the tax on salt, sugar and things we use in our day-to-day life. This is called Value Added Tax (VAT)
Regardless of the type of tax, it is the duty of all citizens and those making money within the country to pay our taxes unless the Uganda Revenue Authority has excused you (tax exemptions)
As citizens, we have a right to ask for accountability for how our taxes are used through our MPs and other institutions. Still, we cannot lawfully refuse to pay tax. Remember, there are other ways to deal with corruption by reporting the incidents of corruption to the IGG (Inspector General of Government) and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) that can highlight them so that they can be dealt with as they come up. The important thing to note is that not paying taxes is unlawful and can cause you to be imprisoned.
Source; BarefootLaw
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