Meta Announces 5% Withholding Tax Deduction From Kenyan Creators’ Earnings
Meta has confirmed a major tax adjustment that will directly affect thousands of Kenyan content creators earning through its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
In a notice issued on Thursday, 20 November, the tech giant announced that creator payouts will now attract a 5% withholding tax, which Meta will remit to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in compliance with upcoming tax regulations.
According to the company, the new requirement stems from changes in Kenya’s tax framework targeting digital income streams. Meta told creators that the changes take effect at the start of the coming year.
“Starting 1 January 2025, Kenya tax law requires all businesses to deduct and remit taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for any payments made to creators located in Kenya,” the notice stated.
As a result, the company confirmed it would begin deducting the mandatory 5% withholding tax from all eligible payments and reflecting the deductions in each creator’s remittance advice.
“Meta will deduct 5% withholding tax from all payments made to you; and the same would also be reflected in the remittance advice issued to you by Meta,” the company added.
Although the law takes effect in January, Meta clarified that enforcement on its platforms will begin later in the year. “Beginning December 2025, all payments made will be subject to 5% creator withholding tax (in addition to any other withholding taxes applicable) and the net amount after tax will be paid to you,” the notice said, signalling the first month creators will feel the impact in their earnings.
The company assured creators that the deducted tax will be visible through official Meta records and also through government systems. “This amount deducted will also be reflected in the remittance advice issued to you. You will be receiving the tax deduction certificate through the government portal,” the notice further explained.
Government Requests for Meta User Data Also Rise
The tax announcement comes just months after Meta released updated figures on data requests made by the Kenyan government. The statistics, published in Meta’s Transparency Center report, highlighted an increase in requests for account information during investigations.
Between January and June 2024, the Kenyan government made 23 data requests, targeting 37 accounts on Meta-owned platforms. Of these, 19 were related to legal processes such as court orders, while three were marked as emergency disclosure requests.
Meta honoured 43.5% of the requests during the six-month period. The company emphasised that it carefully evaluates all government demands to ensure compliance with the law and protection of user rights.
“Meta responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and our terms of service. Each and every request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency, and we may reject or require greater specificity on requests that appear overly broad or vague,” the report stated.
The trend continued in the second half of the year. Between July and December 2024, Kenyan authorities submitted 12 data requests targeting 18 user accounts. The majority—nine requests—were standard legal process inquiries, while three were emergency requests. Meta honoured just 33% of the submissions in this period.
The company also outlined the type of information governments typically seek during such investigations. “Depending on the request, Meta may produce basic subscriber information, such as name, length of service, payment information, email addresses, and recent login/logout IP addresses. Records pertaining to account activity, such as message headers and IP addresses,” the report noted.
Meta says governments generally request data in cases involving potential criminal activity, such as kidnappings or threats to public safety, and each demand undergoes strict scrutiny.
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Meta Announces 5% Withholding Tax Deduction From Kenyan Creators’ Earnings