Lasizwe Dambuza Slams SARS’ Decision To Tax Influencers: “I Really Sympathise With Content Creators”

• YouTuber Lasizwe Dambuza has slammed the South African Revenue Services (SARS) decision to tax influencers
• As a content creator himself, Lasizwe explained that influencers do not have it as easy as many people think
• SARS explained that this decision is influenced by the manner in which advertising agencies opt for creators instead of traditional methods

South African content creator Lasizwe Dambuza weighed in on the decision by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to tax influencers.

In his rant, Lasizwe explained that many influencers are not living the glamorous life and that they struggle to make ends meet.

Why SARS is taxing influencers

According to Sunday World, SARS said that this decision is influenced by the trend in which advertising agencies opt for creators instead of traditional advertising methods. They emphasised that this is not punishment, but rather a means to ensure that every professional pays their taxes.

This does not sound right for Lasizwe, who dragged SARS, revealing the downside of the content creation industry.

“Being an influencer is not as glamorous as people think. It’s actually very tough to navigate this world, and even harder to reach a point where you can confidently invoice and charge for your work. Every single day, influencers are negotiating down, and it’s ironic because when you walk into a store like Pick'n Pay to buy bread, you’d never ask to negotiate the price. Yet, in this industry, our value is constantly questioned.

Lasizwe further added that some influencers spend more money than they make, making this decision unfair towards them.

“On top of that, people don’t see how much influencers spend just to show up. Sometimes you’re paying thousands for makeup, transport, or outfits just to attend an event for free. You’ll maybe get a goodie bag, but now even that is being seen as taxable. It’s baffling," he expressed.

“I really empathise and sympathise with content creators who are not making real money from this work, and now they’re expected to pay tax just to be content creators. That’s heartbreaking. Instead of making their journey harder, I wish more energy were put into creating opportunities that uplift and support young creatives in this space,” said Dambuza.

Daily Sun reported that SARS intends to ensure that money owed to the state is collected accordingly. They mentioned that some influencers might even fall under the provisional taxpayer category. In the statement they released, SARS also mentioned that they have created videos to make this process easier to understand.

Lasizwe asks fans not to vote at SASMA

In a previous report from Briefly News, Lasizwe Dambuza took a stand against the South African Social Media Awards (SASMA), despite being nominated in three categories for the awards.

Lasizwe explained why his fans should not cast their votes in a video, saying he does not get any of the money. His remarks earned support from some of his fans, while others suggested he was using reverse psychology.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News