By John Mutiso
Meta has announced a new tax adjustment that will directly affect Kenyan content creators earning through its platforms.
In a notice on Thursday, November 20, the company informed creators that payments made to them will now be subjected to a 5% withholding tax which will be remitted to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
“Starting 1 Jan 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.
“As a result, 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 notice read.
Meta explained that the new deduction will start being applied to all creator payments beginning December 2025, and the creators will receive only the net amount after these deductions.
“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 added.
Meta added that creators will be able to track the withheld tax through official records provided by the company and the government portal.
“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 read.
Withholding tax is a mandatory levy that requires businesses or organisations making certain payments to deduct a specified percentage at the source and remit it directly to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on behalf of the recipient.
Under Kenyan law, the tax is applied to a range of income categories — including professional fees, interest, dividends, royalties and, more recently, payments made to digital creators.
The system is designed to enhance compliance and ensure the government collects revenue upfront rather than relying solely on annual returns.
Meta in August 2024 announced the roll out two monetisation features for creators in Kenya
Meta said features; In-Stream Ads on Facebook and Facebook Ads on Reels, will enable creators earn money by producing original videos and building their community.
According to Meta’s Global Partnerships Lead for Africa, Middle East and Türkiye, Moon Baz, the features will empower Kenyan creators to earn an income through their content.
She said it will help grow the creative business in the country.
“Every day, we’re inspired by the incredible African creators who use Facebook to tell their stories, connect with others, and bring people together.
“This expansion will empower eligible creators in Kenya’s vibrant creative industry to earn money, setting a high bar for creativity worldwide and making Meta’s family of apps the one-stop-shop for all creators,” Baz said.
Meta said that In-Stream Ads can play before, during, or after on-demand videos, whether it’s pre-recorded content or recordings of previous live streams.
These include Pre-roll Ads (before the video starts), Mid-roll Ads (during videos), Image Ads (static images displayed beneath the content), and Post-roll Ads (end of videos).
The company said Ads on Facebook Reels will integrate seamlessly into original Reels, and creators will get paid based on the performance of their original reels.
