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The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has collected a total of Sh14.5 billion from 227,071 tax payers who took advantage of the on-going tax amnesty programme authority, giving the taxman the much needed reprieve for the risky move.

According to KRA Commissioner of Domestic Tax Rispah Simiyu, though the programme saw KRA forfeit Sh209 billion from penalties and interests, however, it provided financial relief to taxpayers and boosted the much needed revenue collection.

“KRA reminds taxpayers with outstanding principal taxes to take advantage of
the amnesty programme. Further, taxpayers who have not filed their returns
for the amnesty period are urged to file the returns in order to benefit from the Tax Amnesty Programme,” Simiyu said, while reminding those whose Year of Income ends on December 31 2023 to file their Income Tax Returns by June 30, 2024.

The Finance Act, 2023 which introduced the Tax Amnesty Programme allows taxpayers to apply for waiver of penalties and interest accrued for periods up to December 31 2022, upon full payment of their respective principal taxes by June 30 2024. The programme which runs from September 1 2023 to 30th June 2024 is just four months from expiry.

In addition to the amnesty programme, Simiyu encouraged taxpayers with ongoing tax disputes to expedite the resolution of their cases within the Amnesty period.

She suggested considering out-of-court settlements through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework. This will enable them to take advantage of the ongoing Tax Amnesty.

According to the National Treasury and Economic Planning Principal Secretary (PS) Chris Kiptoo, the taxman collected Sh1.5 trillion by the end of January 2024, a 14.4 per cent increment from the Sh1.31 trillion collected in the seven-month period and a growth of 9.8 per cent in the same period in the fiscal period 2022/23.