The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has rolled out sweeping reforms to Kenya’s income tax return filing system, replacing Excel-based templates with a web-based platform aimed at simplifying tax compliance.
The changes are intended to make annual return filing easier for individual taxpayers and businesses while reducing system congestion during the peak filing season.
“We are not going to require you to fill out Excel sheets anymore. It will be web-based and simplified for all the annual returns, both for individuals and companies, making it less system-intensive and less tedious,” said KRA Chief Manager for Policy and Tax, Josephine Mugure.
Under the new system, taxpayers will no longer need to download and complete Excel templates before submitting their annual returns.
The changes follow amendments to Section 52 of the Income Tax Act, which revise tax filing timelines. Effective January 1, 2027, self-assessment taxpayers will be required to file returns within four months after the end of their financial year, instead of the previous six-month period.
KRA will also remove the validation process that slowed filing during the previous tax season, saying the checks were introduced because the authority was validating eTIMS for the first time.
Employees subject to Pay As You Earn (PAYE) will continue to file their annual returns by April 30, while taxpayers submitting nil returns will be required to do so by January 31.
“We have staggered the filing of returns under the Finance Act 2026. Individual filers will be due on April 30, while non-natural persons will be due on June 30,” Mugure said.
The authority also plans to enhance its WhatsApp filing system by expanding the capabilities of Shuru, its AI-powered virtual assistant.
“We will expand it so that you will be able to file a whole range of returns via WhatsApp. In 2027, Shuru will have been here for more than six months, and the teething problems experienced this year will have been resolved, making it more useful,” Mugure said.
KRA said the reforms are aimed at improving the efficiency of tax return filing by streamlining its digital platforms and addressing challenges experienced by taxpayers during the previous filing period.
– By Regan Oluoch
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