Govt. demands witholding tax from landlords

Government says all Landlords are required to start paying 10 per cent withholding tax to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) in accordance to the Tax law.

Chief Government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili says this law for landlords to pay 10 percent to the ZRA was passed between 1992 and 1994 by the then MMD Government but had not been implemented because of politics of appeasement.

Mr. Kambwili, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said the new law on Landlords has always been there in the Statute books except that the MMD feared to lose votes from the people if it was implemented.

“ The PF government is just implementing the law that has been on the law books for many years and every citizen who owns property and rents it out should pay the 10 per cent withholding tax to help government in raising the required funds for financing developmental projects, “ he said.

The Minister added that failure to pay the tax is breaking the law and if there are concerns on the amount of the percentage, Government is ready to dialogue on the percentage of the tax but paying withholding tax is law and every citizen should comply.

Mr. Kambwili was responding to a caller who wanted to know the meaning of withholding tax which the tenants of property being rented to them were required to pay to the ZRA.

Government has continued losing millions of Kwacha in revenue as most majority of Landlords renting out their property at astronomical amounts often pocket the money for personal use.

Some landlords in Lusaka City for example charge tenants as high as K 10, 000 for a three bedroomed house in low density areas like Ibex and Kabulonga and go Scott free.

ZANIS