KRA targets 5 million tax filers with WhatsApp option

From Left: Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner, shared services department Nancy Ngetich, Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga, and Commissioner micro and small taxpayers at KRA, George Obell, during the unveiling of the WhatsApp filing [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Kenyans will now be able to file their taxes through WhatsApp in an innovation by the taxman that targets five million filings this year.

 The innovation unveiled by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Wednesday has been informed by the unenthusiastic approach associated with the process and the fact that many Kenyans are now on WhatsApp.

 KRA’s mode of communication to taxpayers has always been through email. However, the taxman now says many Kenyans are more responsive on WhatsApp compared to email, where some notices go unread or are seen when the timelines have lapsed.

KRA says this innovation is in countries such as South Africa. In South Africa, one can make inquiries such as audits, refunds, and statement requests.

Through WhatsApp, Kenyans will not only be able to file returns but also access other services, among them eTIMS transmission, check KRA PIN, and talk to agents.

 George Obell, KRA Commissioner in charge of Micro and Small Taxpayers, said during a demonstration of the process that in the future, there will be a mechanism for taxpayers to raise tax-related issues through the same platform.

 “We want to extend to that. The root cause has been difficulty in filing,” he said.

 The platform, known as Shuru, can be accessed by contacting KRA through their given contacts and chatting with them just like any other contact. It works more or less similarly to Safaricom’s Zuri.

  It starts with one initiating a chat with Shuru, who will populate the services offered through the platform. You then choose the service and proceed as per the instructions. An OTP verification is sent to your phone for security reasons once you initiate the chat.

 Obell said the innovation is KRA’s proactive approach to reach out to individuals who found the traditional process difficult. In most cases, such individuals would fall off during the process and never complete filing.“We are taking the proactive approach. Away from the enforcement. We are moving to be much more pragmatic for taxpayers to do it correctly in the first instance,” he said.

He said the platform is one of a kind in the region, and it intends to not only make it easier for individuals to file but also file correctly.“We are following the best practice. We make sure all steps to be taken care of in terms of data protection are taken care of. That is why we have the OTP,” he said.

 KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga said this innovation marries into the taxman’s target of improving collections, with a target of Sh2.9 trillion this financial year. In 2024/2025, the taxman collected Sh2.5 trillion. He said technology will play a key role in expanding this basket.

 “Tangible gains made. We see growth in tax filings as we are seeking to move from 4.7 million and increase those numbers by five per cent,” he said. He said the filing process has now been made simple, fast, and convenient. “Taxpayers should take advantage of this innovation and file early,” he said.

 KRA has an ambitious target of expanding the tax bracket to 13 million by 2030, with a keen target on small taxpayers in the micro and small medium sector, which is largely informal.