As the June 30 tax filing deadline draws closer, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has clarified that not every Kenyan with a KRA PIN is required to file tax returns.
The clarification comes after a taxpayer sought help from KRA when they encountered an error while trying to submit a nil return through the iTax system.
According to the taxpayer, the system displayed a message indicating that their PIN was not active under the Income Tax Resident Individual obligation, preventing them from proceeding with the filing process.
In response, KRA explained that the PIN in question did not have any tax obligation attached to it and therefore the individual was not required to file returns.
“Kindly note your PIN has no obligation, so you do not have to file any returns,” the authority said.
The clarification is likely to come as welcome news to some Kenyans who have long believed that possessing a KRA PIN automatically means they must file annual tax returns.
However, KRA says the requirement depends on whether a taxpayer has an active tax obligation linked to their PIN.
There is no need to file any return if there are no tax obligations on an individual.
This move occurs amid the many taxpayers who are working tirelessly to submit their tax returns before the end of June to avoid penalties for either failing to do so or being late in doing so.
In the recent past, KRA has stepped up its measures to ensure increased compliance among taxpayers by employing digital solutions such as eTIMS and data matching solutions.
KRA has recently rolled out a WhatsApp solution called Shuru to make filing easier for taxpayers.
As the deadline for the filing approaches, KRA encourages taxpayers to first ascertain whether or not they have any tax obligations.