Friday, March 29, 2024

No need to tax Netflix – HH

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Opposition United Party for National Development President Hakainde Hichilema says there is no need to tax NETFLIX.

Mr Hichilema says Zambians are already paying tax through data bundles and taxing NETFLIX will be a burden on the already overtaxed Zambians.

In a Tweet, Mr Hichilema said imposing tax on video streaming service will deprive Zambians of entertainment.

But Chief Government spokesperson Dora Siliya has attacked the opposition Leader saying this is a careless way of looking at business.

“You want an American company, Netflix, using our ICT infrastructure paid for by tax kwachas, to enjoy free profits with no local jobs, nor contribution to health education etc. Why do you think USA/China have trade war? Try no taxes in USA”, the Information and Broadcasting Services Minister tweeted.

Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Chanda Kasolo disclosed that the government is working towards starting to tax Netflix streaming service in Zambia.

Mr Kasolo said the Zambian government is displeased that some foreign content service providers are making money in Zambia without paying any taxes.

He said the money being generated by streaming services such as Netflix should be made to pay some form of taxes to the Zambian government.

55 COMMENTS

  1. No need to tax my “Paradise Papers!” Sorry I meant my tax evasion, money laundering money in a tax haven nation of PANAMA which I acquired through Privatisation Theft! When I say that don’t tax Netflix, they will support my election campaign just like when I support the gay rights they will gay behind me. This guy is a danger to Zambia and must never be shown the bedroom HAGAIN. He stole from us when we showed him the kitchen.

    • As a seasoned farmer , he knows the outcome of milking a dry udder, the cow will definitely kick you off the milking stool.

      as seasoned farmer I know that too.

    • Every time you tax businesses, it’s passed on to consumers. Simple and straight forward. How can you pass tax laws targeting individual companies? That’s what PF thinks they can do. How will tax filling be done in this case? Hmmmm. PF will tax us felas!!! Wake up!!!

    • Then just start taxing every streaming services on the internet Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney, YouTube, Netflix Oh! Include the music streaming services while you are at it Tidal, Spotify, etc. You now see how rediculous it all sounds ?? It’s like targeting specific Tax on one of the DSTV channels …..the internet is just but a platform when you tax the access which are the bundles then that’s it …you cannot start taxing individual services that one accesses through it ….it’s pure nonsense and desperation from PF

    • By the way for those arguing for the PF …what happened to the WhatsApp Tax ???? It’s the same principle here …how can someone even f00lishly say they are using our ICT infrastructure …so is everything else you pay for on the internet …so will u start taxing all that ? How much software do we buy over the internet ? Is it ever taxed ?? Start taxing Apple Store and Google play you shameless and illogical mangwams

    • These PF dullards need to encourage Zambians to either start their own streaming services or develop content that Netflix can buy or better still encourage Netflix to help in developing our Content by financing independent movie producers ….they just want to steal instead of seeing how it can benefit others

    • You don’t need to be the first to talk when u are clueless. Especially whe u have hatred for such an an innocent man as HH. It’s his opinion. Just debate on that. Lesson number 1 for you.

    • @ 1.2
      Please distinguish between taxing the data bundles from taxing the profit from Netflix.
      Multichoice pays tax on their profit Netflix doesn’t because they are not domiciled here.
      The govt is not talking about taxing Zambians but Netflix. But as usual, hh doesn’t like any form of cash inflows to our PF Govt.
      No wonder he’s questioning our Fin Minister where he’s going to get funds for our Budget Deficit. He wants to put spanners in advance so that our Budget fails. 2021 Hakalusa Hagain

    • Ntaulu
      Multichoice is taxed! Why shouldn’t they be taxed? Don’t you think NETFLIX is disadvantaging DSTV?
      Multichoice embarks on a number of Social Responsibilities apart from tax and employment

    • The nigga enjoys yapping. Dora is campaigning for tax on these UNDECLARED ZAMBIAN INCOMES which you are clueless about.
      Why is Oval Head saying we shouldn’t? Being his cadre, you might give us some objective reasons

  2. Meaning even Multichoice Zambia should NOT be taxed if I am watching Dstv on my phone since I have already paid tax through data bundles? He wants to sound intelligent when the opposite is true. PF bandits will continue looting even beyond 2021, thanks to this useless Hakainde and his tribal grouping masquerading as a political party.

    • Iwe dumbhead multichoice Zambia is a registered company in Zambia. So of course they are taxed. The content you watch on your phone from multichoice is a by product and extra service to you from them so why should they be taxed twice. On the other hand Netflix isn’t registered In Zambia. Please use a bit of the grey matter in your head.

  3. Truth belongs to the public. Not to PF, and not to UPND. Please take time to consult public widely. That is the meaning of democracy. It is not true that political parties have monopoly of wisdom, that political parties know best. Appoint a Task Force. No threats, no intimidation. Then, the Task Force will report back findings. Democratic government would automatically implement what the report is saying. Future changes would come from future reports reviewing the status quo. Or, are you two politicians emotionally attracted to each other? Personally, I think a tax would downgrade the country’s status as hottest invest destination in Africa today.

  4. Cadres please cadres learn to educate yourselves, Netflix is not domiciled in your country for you to think you will tax it like shoprite. The costs to tax them is also going to outweigh the benefits because they’re not using government infrastructure but the providers that’s why HH is telling you that it’s an extra burden on citizens who will be forced to pay twice. You PF never listen no wonder the economy is shrinking to 2 percent because you people think like a 2 year old

    • Stop pretending to be intelligent on tax laws. In taxation what is cardinal is ‘resident or ordinarily resident’. Domicile only comes in when determining whether worldwide earnings are to be taxed as well.

  5. There is desperation in Zambia to collect kobili to pay nkongole koma. Ask Netflix to pay tax! Don’t ask the consumers who have access to the Internet to pay tax for things just because they have become ubiquitous and are trumping your very poor and biased media scape (iyayi, not Donald namwe!). I am sure soon PayPal will be taxed for being better than using the bank to pay for goods internationally.

  6. This is a clear case of people who dont understand technology. Dora be informed before you start yapping like all you PF cadres. Netflix like all native cloud apps ride on a network in the form of data. Following your narrow reasoning can we then conclude that you will also start taxing WhatsApp calls, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc. All these apps interface with users in data form to providing content that uses the same Zambian ICT infrastructure you crying about?? So what’s the difference? Grow up and wear some big girl panties iwe!!!

    • Quest
      Don’t be puffed up. Unless France or the entire EU do it, Dora won’t make any sense to you. You are very dull.

  7. This is just desperation from PF.

    The service providers pay tax to GRZ from the money they get from customers for watching Netflix.

    Netflix factors this in their pricers.

    If there was no Netflix , GRZ would not be getting the taxes they get from streaming customers.

    This proposed tax will only be passed on to the customer…….
    .

  8. While HH maybe an economist he just like Dora is clueless.
    Netflix has no office in Zambia as such they have no tax liability whatsoever. Should govt tax a foreign company simply because Zambians use products and services of that particular company? No tax treaties exist between Zambia and the US or where Netflix content may come from and or where that content is hosted.
    Instead of trying to tax a foreign company govt should make an environment in which local entrepreneurs can thrive. Though promotion of arts, local films will reach a level where Netflix can buy the content and made to pay tax then.

    • Do your research on how France has started taxing NETFLIX.
      You want to sound INTELLIGENT. Research and come back to us. Thickhead

  9. Am not sure, but I was thinking that in order to enyoy streaming one has to buy data bunddles which are taxed in the name of VAT which goes to GRZ, and through service providers UTUBE, NETFLIX etc get their cut for using their services. Ultimately GRZ taxes service providers based on their profits in this whole chain. Therefore I believe us as end users are already paying tax. Unless service providers are not getting VAT from UTUBE, NETFLIX on behalf of GRZ when paying them for the services rendered.

    • You sound like you haven’t been onto Netflix. THEY CHARGE $10 PER MONTH THROUGH STANDING-ORDERS FROM YOUR BANK.
      So apart from the data bundles, you also pay them. It’s not like Facebook, YouTube or Whatsapp.

    • Night school Lessons the Oval Head to Thickheads like the Dull Remnant.

      Netflix has an unfair advantage over DSTV, GOTV, ETC because they have no office here so no tax even if they charge us exactly like GOTV (US$10 PER MONTH)

  10. N*ggers and N*glets like sharon and thorn in the a$$, think tax issues understanding is within their pay grade. Little do they know that such policies have a stressful effect on the populance,When cornered by huge debts clueless governments begin taxing people on what the country does not produce.

  11. The trouble with these Pathetic Failures is they are a Fraud from the 2011! They came promising Lower and fewer taxes! Sadly they have done the opposite! They have chocked citizens and businesses with ridiculous taxes due to their runaway borrowing and unbridled expenditure! Because of this mess they have created, they want us the citizens to pay? Wake up Zambians! Your leaders are eating “Masuku” on your heads! It’s not NETFLIX they are taxing! It’s you the citizens! This is the Exceptional revenue they are talking about in their 2020 budget! We can’t tax ourselves to prosperity!

  12. The trouble with these Pathetic Failures is they are a Fraud from the 2011! They came promising Lower and fewer taxes! Sadly they have done the opposite! They have chocked citizens and businesses with ridiculous taxes due to their runaway borrowing and unbridled expenditure! Because of this mess they have created, they want us the citizens to pay? Wake up Zambians! Your leaders are eating “Masuku” on your heads! It’s not NETFLIX they are taxing! It’s you the citizens! This is the Exceptional revenue they are talking about in their 2020 budget! We can’t tax ourselves to prosperity!!!

    • Netflix, unlike FB/UTUBE/WHATSAPP, charges US$10 per month. So they have to pay a 15% WITHHOLDING TAX since they are a foreign entity.

  13. As for me i cant blem thos who still stand with pf ,this is the genration yamene inakana yesu they dont like the trueth i dont know if dora or chagwa are there parents that thy will sport them for ever ,emwe ma pf caders or sporters banamilowa so u cant see that chagwa agwa,,,in english pf is dead,,,

  14. Netflix, unlike FB/UTUBE/WHATSAPP, charges US$10 per month. So they have to pay a 15% WITHHOLDING TAX since they are a foreign entity.

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