All taxpayers who are yet to enroll to the new Tax Invoice Management System (TIMS) can sigh with relief after the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) extended its deadline.

In a statement dated Monday, September 26, the authority announced that that the deadline had been moved from Friday, September 30, to Wednesday, November 30.

Stakeholders, taxpayers, business community and the public are all affected in the new changes. 

"Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) wishes to inform stakeholders, taxpayers, business community and the public that the deadline to comply with the Value Added Tax (Electronic Tax Invoice) Regulations, 2020 by transitioning to the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMS) has been extended to 30th November 2022. The initial deadline was 30th September 2022," read the statement in part.

An ETR machine approved by KRA FILE

The authority's Commissioner for Domestic Taxes explained that KRA had noted that some of the businesses and taxpayers were in the process of acquiring the new Electronic Tax Register (ETR) machines. 

The extension, therefore, is aimed at allowing those yet to acquire the crucial machine do so.

"Having noted that a number of taxpayers are still in the process of acquiring and integrating the ETR devices with their invoicing systems, KRA further advises that an administrative decision has been taken to provide additional time until November 30, 2022, to allow the taxpayers complete this process," the commissioner explained.

Initially, the transition's deadline had been pegged at July 31, 2022, but was extended to September.

The authority seeks to enroll all VAT registered taxpayers from the old Electronic Tax Registers to the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMS).

Subsequently, KRA gazetted a list of about 16 registered ETR suppliers from whom the VAT registered taxpayers were to acquire the new machines.

The upgraded ETRs have the ability to check the accuracy of the invoice data generated at the time of making a sale through a validation process.  

As the customer is issued with their copy of the invoice, the electronic version of the tax invoice is transmitted to KRA over the internet on a real time or near real time basis.

A KRA van spotted during a crackdown in Nairobi on Thursday, March 18, 2021. TWITTER   By Derrick Okubasu, Kenyans.co.ke