Singer Jose Chameleone is not happy with Uganda Revenue Authority. Chameleone was the first artiste to receive an invoice from the tax body for the shows he did between the months of December 2011 to March 2012. According to the invoice, a copy of which Sqoop saw, Chameleone was ordered to pay Shs14m as tax for all the shows he did within the four months.
However, the Valu Valu singer was not a bit amused by what he described as URA’s uncoordinated figures. And Chameleone did not keep his disappointment to himself. The singer called a senior officer in URA and asked him questions that ranged from, which basis the tax body used to levy such an amount of taxes to what the state has done to ensure artistes get enough money to be able to pay back such moneys in taxes.
“The Nigerian gov’t recently gave their music industry Shs30b to develop the industry, but the Ugandan government that has done nothing for us instead wants to take so much from us,” Chameleone said.
The artiste, who swore not to pay taxes unless a clear system to ensure artistes make money is put in place threw us into laughter when he said that “URA will soon tax women with hips!”
“I mean my voice is a natural given gift from God, why do you want me to pay for my voice? URA will soon tell women with hips to pay taxes for them because men love the hips! I mean what strategy are they going to use to tax musicians? How will musicians like Omulangira Ssuna and AK 47 be taxed?” We are yet to get comments from other musicians when they get their invoices from the tax body!
