Death and Taxes

All U.S. citizens working and residing abroad are required to file and reports on their worldwide income.

- Unites States Government

 

Habari,

Hey folks, the above statement is imprinted on every U.S. citizen’s passport.  It is Uncle Sam’s way of telling us that no matter where we are in the world, we better have his money.  Now, there are some tax benefits to working abroad, but you need an MIT scientist to decipher the international tax code.  Good or bad though, everyone in the U.S. is required to pay taxes.  We playfully use the statement, “the only thing that’s guaranteed in life is death and taxes.”   

Some of you may quip about the inequality in the amount of taxes paid by each citizen and we all know there are criminals who don’t pay any taxes at all.  Rest assured that Uncle Sam’s henchmen will eventually bring these outlaws down.  With all of the criminal activity that goes on in America, the Taxman has succeeded where regular lawmakers have failed in bringing down the most notorious criminals in our history.  The message is clear, you can rob, cheat and kill as much as you want, but you better have Uncle Sam’s money.  LOL.  I’m just kidding… a little. 

Now I bring all of this up, because I found out a very interesting piece of information about Kenya this weekend.  My operations manager invited the team to lunch at her home.  There was one Nigerian, one Tanzanian, a person from the DRC, seven Kenyans and me.  Yes, I am embracing the continent!!  The television was on just for background noise and the problems of corruption in Nigeria came the screen.  This sparked a very interesting conversation about government officials. 

The Kenyans in the room informed us that their government officials don’t pay taxes.  WTF!! The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my mouth was hung open.  I was outraged.  I don’t understand the reasoning behind this even after they explained it to me.  In my opinion, EVERYBODY should pay taxes.  These government officials are some of the richest citizens in their country, but they pay no taxes.  SMH. Kenya really could use their tax money.  There are basic infrastructure problems that could be taken care of if their tax money was properly applied.

Every time I travel over impassable roads or sit in darkness because the lights went out in Kenya, I think about how our tax dollars are used in the States.  We complain about a bad pot hole here and there or the streets not being cleared quick enough after a snow storm, but we don’t have to face these kinds of problems.  If you want to get Americans to the voting poles, take away their basic comforts. 

Most Americans would not have the patience for this place, yet it has given me such an appreciation for the place I call home.  It seems unthinkable in America that our tax dollars wouldn’t provide the basic infrastructure, good roads, clean water and stable electricity.  Here, it seems to be something you  learn to live with.  I think I may have mentioned a meeting I was having with the Africa CFO and the lights went out.  We didn’t skip a beat while continuing our conversation in complete darkness.  True story.  While we were talking another group came into the room hoping they could use it even though it was pitch black.

 

Nairobi Kenya is one of the better cities in Africa.  It’s not as stable as South Africa, but you can live a normal urban life here.  I know I talk about the stranger parts of the experience, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Many parts of the land is beautiful and the weather is amazing.  As I write this, the temperature is 64 degrees, which is perfect for a person like me who hates to sweat.  The Kenyan people are some of the best I’ve met in the world. They work hard for their money and that amount is not a lot by U.S. standards, but they pay their taxes.  I think their government officials should too.

I will see you all back here next week.

Asante Sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2012 by Della Rochelle Williams