KRA cracks tax whip on importers and small businesses

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

61% : The validation will apply to returns for the 2025 tax year submitted through KRA's iTax platform, representing a significant escalation in the authority's efforts to widen the tax base through technology.
54% : "This is an effort by KRA to enforce the use of eTIMS for all traders in the formal and informal sector," said Samuel Mwaura, Tax Partner at Grant Thornton Kenya.
52% : "KRA intends to match withholding tax deducted versus income declared as a matching concept.
49% : In a public notice issued on Friday, the tax authority said it would begin "validating income and expenses declared in both individual and non-individual income tax returns" against three digital data streams: TIMS or eTIMS invoices, withholding income tax records, and import declarations from customs systems.
47% : The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will from January 2026 launch a radical digital crackdown on small traders, using real-time data from electronic invoices and customs records to identify tax evaders in one of the agency's most comprehensive enforcement pushes to date.
43% : However, tax experts warn the aggressive digital push could spark legal challenges and implementation hurdles.

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