This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced plans to expand its tax base using technology.
The taxman aims to use data from various government and private institutions to identify new taxpayers and net tax evaders.
According to Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Elizabeth Meyo, the authority will utilize data from Kenya Power and other companies to bring in new taxpayers.
Board Chairman Francis Muthaura emphasized the potential for new taxpayers, stating, "There are a lot of potential taxpayers that have not been brought to us as yet, we want to pursue this."
Ms. Meyo noted that 30% of last year's collections were aided by the use of data from different firms, and expressed the goal of increasing this number to boost revenues.
The National Treasury has urged KRA to increase collections to support the Big 4 agenda, with CS Yatani highlighting the importance of economic progression.
CS Yatani also encouraged the taxman to utilize surveillance equipment invested in by the government.