ZIMRA comes after Alick Macheso

Sungura musician Alick Macheso was yesterday interviewed by Zimbabwean revenue authority officials over his lifestyle and on whether he was liable to pay corporate taxes over the past three years. 

Macheso’s lawyer Arnold Taruvinga confirmed yesterday that the king of sungura was called to ZIMRA for the interview.

“Our visit to ZIMRA was for an interview concerning him in his personal capacity ad his trade. They wanted to assess his trade and earnings from the year 2013 to 2016. 

They wanted to assess whether he was liable to pay income tax or whether his business was supposed to pay corporate tax. It was just a preliminary interview. We are now waiting for ZIMRA to write a request letter with more details of what they want. 

As of now we not sure as what do they want, “he said. Lawyer Taruvinga also said that Macheso was also interviewed on his lifestyle.

“They wanted to know whether he has things that he purchased over that period and whether he was living a lavish life. Basically they want to know whether he was living a life beyond the normal an extra ordinary life-like whether he had gone on holiday to South Africa. 

All we are now waiting for is a letter of request from them (ZIMRA),” he said. In a letter dated September 5 2016, titled ‘Request for an initial interview’, ZIMRA wrote:

“Please be advised that ZIMRA is carrying out a tax audit of your trade and hereby request for a meeting, which has been scheduled to be on 7 September 2016 at 1030 hours at Kurima House in office 603, 6th floor. 

You are further advised that in terms of section 8 of the income tax (Chapter 23.06) the income you earn from your trade is subject to payment of tax and section 2 of the income tax act defines trade as:

“Trade’ includes any profession, trade, business, activity, calling, occupation or venture including the letting of any property, carried on, engaged in or followed for the purposes of producing income as defined in subsection (1) of section 8 and anything done for the purpose of producing such income.

“You are therefore requested to invite any parties you wish to be present at the meeting. Your cooperation will be appreciated,” reads the letter.

Source-H Metro