The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) plans to replace its long-standing Excel-based income tax return filing system with a web-based platform from 2027 as it implements reforms introduced under the Finance Act, 2026.
According to KRA Chief Manager for Tax Policy Josephine Mugure on July 9, the authority will introduce a web-based income tax return filing system, eliminating the need for taxpayers to download and complete Excel forms before submitting their returns.
“The first thing is we are introducing web-based returns and these returns we’re not going to require you to fill in the Excel anymore. It will be web-based,” she said.
What It Means For Taxpayers
The reforms will also introduce auto-populated tax returns, allowing KRA to use information already available in its systems, including eTIMS invoices, PAYE records, withholding tax certificates, customs data and other third-party information, to pre-fill sections of taxpayers’ returns.
For instance, a business that issues invoices through eTIMS may find its sales information already reflected in its tax return, reducing the need for manual data entry.
Similarly, employees could have their salary and PAYE deductions automatically captured based on information submitted by their employers.
Also Read: KRA Announces 100% Waiver of Tax Penalties and Interest for Eligible Taxpayers
Mugure said the authority is enhancing its AI-powered virtual assistant, Shuru, to enable taxpayers to file a wider range of returns through WhatsApp.
“Shuru will have stabilized because now, whatever were the cheating problems, she’ll have been here for more than six months, so she’ll be of better use. We want to extend what you can do on WhatsApp, not just what we had for employees. We want to extend this so that you can file a whole range of returns on WhatsApp,” Mugure said.
The expansion forms part of KRA’s efforts to simplify tax compliance and improve access to digital tax services.
Also Read: KRA Introduces Automated Licensing System for Select Vehicles
KRA Introduces New Filing Deadlines
Under the new framework, individual taxpayers will be required to file their income tax returns by the end of April, while companies and other non-natural persons will have until the end of June.
Mugure said the staggered filing deadlines are designed to spread the volume of tax return submissions over different periods, easing pressure on KRA’s systems and reducing the congestion that has traditionally occurred when all taxpayers file at the same time.
She added that the authority is also implementing further system upgrades to ensure the platform remains stable and can handle the expected increase in filings ahead of the April deadline.
The Finance Act, 2026 amends Section 75 of the Tax Procedures Act by legally anchoring the auto-population of Income Tax Returns. It empowers the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to utilize ICT systems and third-party data to generate pre-filled tax documents on behalf of taxpayers
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