KRA has been forced to respond to reports of confiscating a wedding dress worth Kshs300,000 at JKIA over tax.
In a statement that the taxman shared on X, expressed remorse for the inconveniences that are caused by such occurrences, while condemning any forms of abuse from its officials.
“Our attention has been drawn to various social media posts regarding an incident involving a Kenyan Lady and a foreigner. We empathize with the frustration and inconveniences such situations may cause and reiterate that we do not condone any form of abuse or harassment by our officers,” KRA said.
KRA further said that the mentioned incident occurred on September 23 and the wedding dress was valued at $2000 thus it exceeded the $500 limit hence it was a subject to taxation.
The taxman brushed off claims of confiscating the dress, revealing that the couple complied after understanding their tax obligations.
“We are pleased to inform you that the couple, upon understanding the tax requirements, paid the necessary taxes and complied with the regulations. We are grateful for their cooperation,,” KRA stated.
The taxman was responding to a report by Jackie Arkle about the couple being harassed at the airport.
The bride to be was a black woman while her partner was of caucasian origin. The two were in the country for their wedding.
“Our clients arrived last night from US for their wedding. As they were exiting their arrivals, the bride to be was asked to open her suitcase. Which she duly did. This was the beginning of their nightmare. They were rudely told that the wedding dress was of commercial value and they must pay $2000 . They didn’t have the money so they were forced to leave it,” Arkle stated.
According to her, no harassment was subjected to the groom. She also said that the couple was highly traumatized by the incident.