Don’t tax content creators, the sector is still growing – Kwadwo Sheldon

Popular Ghanaian YouTuber and content creator, Kwadwo Sheldon has voiced his opposition to government’s proposal to tax Ghanaians earning foreign income.

Last year, the Ghana Revenue Agency (GRA) disclosed plans to tax individuals earning foreign income, particularly targeting content creators and influencers on global platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, X and Snapchat among others.

The GRA said that the country’s income tax law mandates all income earners to file their taxes and these included bloggers, brand influencers, content creators and others.

The announcement didn’t go down well for many content creators and Kwadwo Sheldon has been vocal about his disagreement with the initiative. 

In an interview with BBC’s Daniel Dadzie and monitored by Graphic Online, Sheldon expressed his concerns stating that such taxation would adversely affect the content creation industry which is still growing. 

“For me, it is unfavourable to us…We are building, it’s not buoyant yet. So if you keep taxing us, how much are we going to earn at the end of the day? Also, I am in a space and when you go to Social Blade, you see the average earnings of every creator. Not every content creator you see getting views on Facebook is breaking bread or is breaking even,” he stated.

He emphasised the challenges faced by content creators in monetising their content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram due to existing taxes and deductions.

“Now, even before the YouTube money comes in, they will take their own. The US government will take their own. At the end of the day, let’s say you earn $1,000 a month, you will be walking home with $500,” he added.

Source: Graphic Online