This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
As a Kenyan citizen above 18 years, it's essential to file your tax returns annually. However, if you're unemployed or a student, you may not have a source of income and therefore no returns to file. This is where the nil returns option comes in.
According to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), filing taxes in Kenya begins from January to June of every year. Failure or delay to do so attracts a Ksh 2000 fine for every missed year. To avoid this, it's recommended to file your taxes early.
Requirements ¶
- Working internet connection
- Your KRA pin
- Your iTax password
- Working email address
If you've forgotten your iTax password, you can choose the 'forgot password' option. You'll need to insert your KRA pin and solve an arithmetic problem. iTax will then send you a temporary password to your email. Use this to log in to your portal and then reset it with a password you can easily remember.
Steps to Follow ¶
- Go to your browser and type in itax.kra.go.ke on the address bar. This will take you to the iTax portal homepage.
- On the left-hand side, you'll see the option of putting in your KRA pin and iTax password. Carefully fill both boxes and click the 'next' button.
- You'll land on your iPage on the iTax portal. Familiarize yourself with the various options and tabs so that you'll know how to access them whenever you need them.
- On the topmost bar, look for the 'Returns' tab and click on it. A dropdown menu will appear. Click on 'File Nil Returns.'
- On the new page, you'll have three fields to fill. Choose the 'self' option, which indicates the type of applicant you are. Fill in your KRA pin and select 'Income tax resident.' Press the 'next' button to continue.
- The next page requires you to fill in the period you wish to file your returns. Since this is 2020, you're filing returns from last year. Therefore, choose 1/01/2019 as the 'from' date. The 'to' date will automatically fill up. Click the 'submit' button to continue.
- If you're successful, the next page will come with a confirmation message for the completed process and a link to download your acknowledgement receipt. Click on this link and the PDF version of the receipt will automatically download to your computer.
Save this receipt in your computer and also download it as proof in case the need arises. You should also email yourself a copy for safe-keeping purposes.
Published on June 19, 2020.
