The Real Truth About Tax Compliance: Building a Business When the Rules Aren’t Clear

Most entrepreneurs don’t hate taxes, they hate confusion.
In this episode of (So) How’s Business?, Alma Mabachi sits down with Eunice Migwi, founder of Her Legacy, to unpack what tax compliance really looks like when you’re building a business in an environment where the rules are unclear, systems are inconsistent, and guidance is often missing.
Using real founder experiences and practical examples, this conversation goes far beyond tax theory. It explores why so many small businesses struggle with compliance, how poor systems create risk, and what entrepreneurs can do to protect and future-proof their businesses from day one.

This episode also dives into:
• Why confusion, not resistance, is the biggest tax problem for entrepreneurs
• How unclear systems affect small businesses and founders globally
• The difference between capital problems and systems problems
• Why “doing things right from the start” matters more than fixing things later
• Tax compliance as a business survival strategy, not just a legal obligation
• Founder lessons on partnerships, reinvention, boundaries, and starting again
You’ll also hear Eunice’s personal journey of starting over, building a focused business after a failed partnership, navigating motherhood alongside entrepreneurship, and learning how systems, not hustle alone, sustain long-term growth.
Whether you’re a startup founder, small business owner, consultant, or creator, this episode offers a grounded, honest look at what it really takes to build a business when the rules aren’t always clear.

🎧 Watch, learn, and share with a founder who needs clarity, not fear.

Chapters
(00:00) Most entrepreneurs don’t hate taxes — they hate confusion
(03:10) How Her Legacy began and the original vision
(06:10) Turning tax knowledge into a business
(09:20) Why founders ignore taxes in the early stages
(12:40) Is the system broken — or just unclear?
(16:30) “Do your part”: surviving imperfect systems
(20:10) Pivoting from bookkeeping to tax compliance
(24:45) Building a business with systems, not just hustle
(29:30) Why capital doesn’t fix broken businesses
(34:10) Starting a business with a friend
(38:50) When partnerships fail: roles, vision, and reality
(43:30) Pivoting strategies vs having a clear purpose
(48:30) Fear, confidence, and doing uncomfortable things
(54:50) Starting over with responsibility and pressure
(59:30) What every business owner must understand about taxes
(01:05:40) eTIMS explained: what changed (and what didn’t)
(01:10:50) VAT, pricing mistakes, and margin erosion
(01:15:40) Turnover tax: why it doesn’t work in practice
(01:20:30) Creators, withholding tax, and missing certificates
(01:25:00) Final advice: education, compliance, and long-term thinking

#sohowsbusiness #KenyanBusiness #KRA #eTIMS #VATKenya #EntrepreneurshipKenya #WomenInBusiness #AfricanEntrepreneurs #SmallBusinessKenya #CreatorEconomy

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