The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has highlighted the country’s transition from manual Value Added Tax (VAT) filing to a fully digital system, saying taxpayers can now file pre-filled VAT returns online through the iTax platform.

In a statement shared on its X account on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, KRA recalled the days when taxpayers had to manually fill VAT return booklets, attach receipts and physically visit tax offices for document verification before filing their returns.

“Remember manually filling out VAT return booklets, attaching receipts and making trips to the tax office to be stamped? That is one of the things we don’t miss,” KRA said.

The tax authority noted that VAT returns are now automatically pre-filled using tax information received through the electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) and Invoice Control Management System (ICMS), allowing taxpayers to verify the details before submitting returns online.

“Today, VAT returns are pre-filled on iTax using tax information available to KRA via eTIMS and ICMs. Taxpayers can verify the information, confirm its accuracy and submit their returns online,” the authority added.

Digital tax system transforms compliance

KRA’s latest remarks come days after the authority restored the eTIMS online portal following two service disruptions within a week that affected thousands of businesses relying on the platform for electronic invoicing.

The outages reignited debate over the country’s growing dependence on digital tax infrastructure, with businesses unable to generate compliant invoices during the downtime.

Despite the interruptions, KRA has maintained that taxpayers can continue accessing services through alternative platforms, including eCitizen, the *222# USSD service and the eTIMS Lite application whenever the main portal is unavailable.

eTIMS central to VAT filing

The electronic Tax Invoice Management System has become a key component of Kenya’s tax administration by enabling businesses to generate, transmit and store electronic tax invoices in real time.

The platform also allows KRA to validate business transactions, populate VAT returns automatically and match sellers’ declarations with buyers’ expenditure records.

The authority has consistently encouraged businesses to embrace digital tax compliance, saying automation reduces paperwork, improves efficiency and minimises errors associated with manual filing.

KRA’s renewed push for digital filing signals its commitment to modernising tax administration despite recent technical challenges, with pre-filled VAT returns expected to simplify compliance and reduce the time taxpayers spend preparing their monthly returns.