This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
On November 7, 2019, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) made a significant move in its ongoing crackdown against tax evasion by demanding that pension schemes supply tax details of their members and their beneficiaries.
This development is part of KRA's efforts to expand its data and increase surveillance to identify and apprehend tax cheats. As a result, pension firms have begun writing to their members to comply with KRA's request.
According to a notice seen by the Business Daily, pension agencies have asked their members to provide recent copies of their ID and KRA PIN certificate for record-keeping purposes. Additionally, they have requested updated beneficiary information, including names, birth dates, phone numbers, email addresses, birth certificates, ID copies, and KRA PINS where necessary.
Earlier this year, KRA announced plans to gain access to bank and mobile money records as part of its efforts to smoke out businesses and individuals who have been understating their incomes to reduce tax burden. This move was met with protests from privacy lobbies.
As part of its high-tech war against tax cheats, KRA is integrating its system with third parties like Kenya Power, National Construction Authority, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and other agencies for speedy access to data on taxpayers' spending patterns.
