KRA extends olive branch to tax evaders

times-tower

What you need to know:

  • Businesses and individuals suspected of tax evasion will apply for relief on penalties through the iTax portal as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) eases the application process and ropes in more taxpayers.
  • Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Rispah Simiyu told Business Daily that the taxman has automated the amnesty programme.

Businesses and individuals suspected of tax evasion will apply for relief on penalties through the iTax portal as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) eases the application process and ropes in more taxpayers.

Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Rispah Simiyu told Business Daily that the taxman has automated the amnesty programme.

“Uptake has been low, perhaps due to inability by taxpayers to lodge their applications on iTax. With the process now automated, it is expected that the uptake will improve since it is convenient and simple to lodge a Voluntary Tax Disclosure Programme(VTDP) application online,” she said.

Taxpayers for the past seven months have been manually applying for the amnesty. The KRA said the tedious process has slowed down the efforts to process a large number of applicants.

The amnesty is a three-year programme in which the KRA has offered up to 100 per cent interest and penalties waiver on taxes that have not been paid in five years.

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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.