Tax changes (increase and reduction) under the Finance Bill, 2024

The Finance Bill

The Finance Bill 2024 (the Bill) was introduced to the National Assembly on 9th May 2024. Below are the key proposed changes.

Amending status of various supplies

The Bill proposes to amend the VAT status of the following products from exempt to taxable:

Description

Current status

Proposed rate

8802.30.00 Airplanes and other aircraft of an unladen weight exceeding 2,000 kg but not exceeding 15,000 kg

Exempt

16%

8802.60.00 Spacecraft (including satellites) and suborbital and spacecraft

launch vehicles

Exempt

16%

Gluten bread

Exempt

16%

Unleavened bread

Exempt

16%

Taxable supplies (goods & services) imported or purchased locally for use by the local film producers and local filming agents, upon recommendation by the Kenya Film Commission

Exempt

16%

Direction-finding compasses, instruments and appliances for aircraft

Exempt

16%

Taxable supplies (goods & services) for direct and exclusive use for the construction of tourism facilities, recreational parks of fifty acres or more, convention and conference facilities upon recommendation by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for matters relating to recreational parks

Exempt

16%

Taxable goods and services for the direct and exclusive use in the construction and equipping of specialized hospitals with a minimum bed capacity of 50, approved by the Cabinet Secretary upon recommendation by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for health who may issue guidelines for determining eligibility for the exemption

Exempt

16%

Pressure-sensitive adhesive of tariff number 3506.91.00

Exempt

16%

Plain polythene film/LPDE of tariff number 3921.19.10

Exempt

16%

PE white 25-40gsm/release paper of tariff number 4811.49.00

Exempt

16%

ADL 25-40gsm of tariff number 5603.11.00

Exempt

16%

Specially designed locally assembled motor vehicles for transportation of tourists, purchased before clearance through Customs by tour operators upon recommendation by the competent authority responsible for tourism promotion

Exempt

16%

Plant, machinery and equipment used in the construction of a plastics recycling plant.

Exempt

16%

Musical instruments and other musical equipment, imported or purchased locally, for exclusive use by educational institutions, upon recommendation by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for education

Exempt

16%

Such capital goods the exemption of which the Cabinet Secretary may determine to promote investment in the manufacturing sector, provided that the value of the investment is not less than KES 2b

Exempt

16%

Betting, gaming and lotteries services

Exempt

16%

Hiring, leasing and chartering of aircrafts excluding helicopters of tariff numbers 8802.11.00 and 8802.12.00

Exempt

16%

The VAT status of the following financial services has been proposed by the bill to change from exempt to standard rate supplies:

  • Issuing of credit cards and debit cards
  • Telegraphic money transfer services
  • Foreign exchange transactions, including the supply of foreign drafts and international money orders
  • Check handling, processing, clearing and settlement, including special clearance or cancellation of checks
  • Issuance of securities for money, including bills of exchange, promissory notes, money and postal orders
  • The assignment of a debt for consideration
  • The provision of financial services on behalf of another on a commission basis

Exempt

16%

 

The Bill proposes to amend the VAT status of the following goods/services from Taxable (16%) to Exempt:

Description

Current rate

Proposed rate

All goods including material supplies, equipment, machinery and

motor vehicles, for official use by National Intelligence Service

16%

Exempt

Inputs and raw materials used in the manufacture of mosquito repellent on recommendation by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for matters relating to health

16%

Exempt

Mosquito repellent

16%

Exempt

Tea packaging material

16%

Exempt

Micronutrients, foliar feeds and bio-stimulants of Chapter 38

16%

Exempt

Transfer of business as a going concern

16%

Exempt

 

The Bill proposes to amend the VAT status of the following products from zero-rated (0%) to Exempt:

Description

Current rate

Proposed rate

The supply of motorcycles of tariff heading 8711.60.00

0%

Exempt

All inputs and raw materials whether produced locally or imported, supplied to manufacturers of agricultural pest control products upon recommendation by the Cabinet Secretary for the time being responsible for agriculture

0%

Exempt

Agricultural pest control products

0%

Exempt

Bioethanol vapor (BEV) Stoves classified under HS Code 7321.12.00 (Cooking appliances and plate warmers for liquid fuel)

0%

Exempt

 

The Bill proposes to amend the VAT status of the following products from zero-rated (0%) to standard rated (16%):

Description

Current rate

Proposed rate

Transportation of sugarcane from farms to milling factories.

0%

16%

The supply of ordinary bread

0%

16%

Inbound international sea freight offered by a registered person

0%

16%

The supply of locally assembled and manufactured mobile phones

0%

16%

The supply of electric bicycles

0%

16%

The supply of solar and lithium-ion batteries.

0%

16%

The supply of electric buses of tariff heading 87.02.

0%

16%

 

Revised excise duty rates: Goods

Excisable goods

Item

Current excise tax

Proposed excise tax

Imported sugar confectionary

KES 42.91 per kg

KES 257.55 per kg

Wines, fortified wines, and other fermented alcoholic beverages**

KES 243.43

KES 22.50 per centiliter of pure alcohol

Beer, Cider, Perry, Mead, Opaque beer and mixtures**

KES 142.44 per liter

KES 22.50 per centiliter of pure alcohol

Spirits of undenatured ethyl alcohol, spirits liqueurs and other spirituous beverages**

KES 356.42 per liter

KES 16 per centiliter of pure alcohol

Cigarette with filters (hinge lid and soft cap)

KES 4,067.03 per mille

KES 4,100 per mille

Cigarettes without filters (plain cigarettes)

KES 2,926.41 per mille

KES 4,100 per mille

Products containing nicotine or nicotine substitutes

KES 1,595.00 per mille

KES 2,000 per kg

Liquid nicotine for electronic cigarettes

KES 70 per milliliter

KES 100 per milliliter

Vegetable oils of tariff codes 1511, 1512, 1515 and 1517

25%

** Effective 1 September 2024

Revised excise duty rates: Services

PART II — Excisable services

Excisable service

Current excise tax

Proposed excise tax

Telephone and internet data services

15%

20%

Fees charged for money transfer services by banks, money transfer agencies and other financial service providers.

15%

20%

Fees charged for money transfer services by cellular phone service providers,

15%

15%

Betting

12.5%

20%

Gaming

12.5%

20%

Price competition amount paid or charged to participate in a prize competition

12.5%

20%

Lottery (excluding charitable lotteries) on the amount paid or charged to buy the lottery ticket

12.5%

20%

 

Goods subject to eco levy. The table below sets out the various rates:

#

Item description

Tariff code

Proposed eco levy rate (KES per unit)

1

Automatic data processing machines and units thereof of Heading 8471, except storage units of tariff 8471.70.00

8471

225

2

Calculating machines and pocketsize data recording, reproducing and displaying machines with calculating functions; accounting machines, postage-franking machines, ticket-issuing machines, and similar machines, incorporating a calculating device; cash registers — incorporating a printing device

8470.21.00

225

3

Other office machines (e.g., hectograph or stencil duplicating machines, addressing machines, automatic banknote dispensers, coin-sorting machines, coin-counting or wrapping machines, pencil-sharpening machines, perforating or stapling machines)

8472.90.00

98

4

Other office machines (e.g., hectograph or stencil duplicating machines, addressing machines, automatic banknote dispensers, coin-sorting machines, coin-counting or wrapping machines, pencil-sharpening machines, perforating or stapling machines)

8472.90.00

225

5

Parts and accessories (other than covers, carrying cases and the like) suitable for use solely or principally with machines of headings 84.70 to 84.72; parts and accessories of automatic data processing machines and units thereof

8473.30.00

98

6

Line telephone sets with cordless handsets

8517.11.00

225

7

Smartphones

8517.13.00

225

8

Other telephones for cellular or wireless networks

8517.14.00

225

9

Other telephone sets

8517.18.00

225

10

Base stations

8517.61.00

225

11

Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus

8517.62.00

225

12

Other apparatus for transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, including apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network

8517.69.00

225

13

Microphones and stands thereof

8518.10.00

98

14

Sound recording or reproducing apparatus-using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media

8519.81.00

98

15

Radio navigational aid apparatus

8526.91.00

98

16

Reception apparatus for radiobroadcasting, whether or not combined, in the same housing, with sound recording or reproducing apparatus or a clock of Heading 8527

8527.12.00

225

17

Reception apparatus for television not designed to incorporate a video display or screen

8528.71.00

1275

18

Unassembled color television sets

8528.72.10

1275

19

Unassembled monochrome television sets

8528.73.10

1275

20

Assembled monochrome television sets

8528.73.90

1275

21

Color cathode ray television tubes

8540.11.00

1800

22

Monochrome cathode ray television tubes

8540.12.00

1800

23

Television camera tubes; image converters and intensifiers; other photo-cathode tubes

8540.20.00

1800

24

Other instruments and apparatus, specially designed for telecommunications (for example, crosstalk meters, gain measuring instruments, distortion factor meters, psophometers)

9030.40.00

98

25

Plastic packaging materials of Chapter 39

Chapter 39

150 per kg

26

Rubber tires of Chapter 40

Chapter 40

1000

27

Batteries or dry cells of Chapter 85

Chapter 85

750 per kg

28

Diapers of Chapter 96

Chapter 96

150 per kg

29

Transmission apparatus for radiobroadcasting or television, whether or not incorporating reception apparatus or sound recording or reproducing apparatus; television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders of heading 8525

Heading 8525

98

 

The Finance Act, 2023 introduced the Export and Investment Promotion Levy (EIPL) on select goods imported into the country for home use.

The proposed rates are described the table below:

#

Tariff number

Item description

Current rate

Proposed rate (% of customs value)

1

0401.20.00

Milk and cream of a fat content by weight, exceeding 1% but not exceeding 6%

3%

2

2207.20.00

Denatured ethyl alcohol and other spirits

3%

3

2208.40.00

Rum and other spirits obtained by distilling fermented sugar

3%

4

2208.60.00

Vodka

3%

5

2523.10.00

Cement clinker

17.50%

10%

6

3401.30.00

Organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin

3%

7

4804.11.00

Unbleached kraft liner

10%

3%

8

4804.29.00

Uncoated kraft paper and paperboard, in rolls or sheets other than that of heading 4802 or 4803 — other sack kraft paper

10%

3%

9

4819.30.00

Sacks and bags with a base width of 40 cm or more

10%

Deleted

10

4819.40.00

Other sacks and bags, including cones

10%

Deleted

11

7207.11.00

Semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel containing, by weight, measuring less than 14mm in diameter and the cross section measuring less than 8 mm

17.50%

Deleted

12

7207.11.00

Billets

10%

13

7213.91.90

Bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel, hot rolled, in irregularly wound coils of circular cross-section measuring less than 14mm in diameter

17.50%

Deleted

14

7321.12.00

Cooking stoves for liquid fuel

3%

15

8711.10.90

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine not exceeding 50cc

3%

16

8711.20.10

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine exceeding 50cc but not exceeding 250cc

3%

17

8711.20.90

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine exceeding 50cc but not exceeding 250cc

3%

18

8711.30.90

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine exceeding 250cc but not exceeding 500cc

3%

19

8711.40.90

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine exceeding 500cc but not exceeding 800cc

3%

20

8711.50.90

Motorcycles with internal combustion engine exceeding 800cc

3%

21

8711.60.00

Electric motorcycles

3%

22

9403.10.00

Metal furniture of a kind used in offices

3%

23

9403.20.00

Other metal furniture

3%

24

9403.30.00

Wooden furniture for office

3%

25

9403.40.00

Wooden furniture for kitchen

3%

26

9403.50.00

Wooden furniture for bedrooms

3%

27

9403.60.00

Other wooden furniture

3%

28

9403.70.00

Furniture of plastics

3%

29

9403.82.00

Furniture of bamboo

3%

30

9403.83.00

Furniture of rattan

3%

31

9403.89.00

Furniture of cane, osier or similar material

3%

32

9403.91.00

Parts of furniture, not of wood

3%

33

9403.99.00

Parts of furniture, not of wood

3%

34

9404.10.00

Mattress supports

3%

35

Chapter 42

Articles of leather of Chapter 42

20%

36

Chapter 64

Imported footwear of Chapter 64

20%

37

Heading 6910

Ceramic sinks, washing basins, pedestals, baths, bidets, water closet pans, flushing cisterns, urinals and similar sanitary fixtures

3%

 

Our detailed analysis of the Finance Bill 2024 is contained here.


Discover more from Makao Bora

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Join The Discussion

Leave a Reply