The Kenya Revenue Authority has defended its proposal to move the annual tax filing deadline from June 30 to April 30, arguing that advancements in digital tax systems have eliminated the need for taxpayers to wait until mid-year to file returns.
Speaking during NTV’s TaxSymposium on May 19, KRA Commissioner for the Micro and Small Taxpayers Department, George Obell, said the current timeline no longer makes sense, especially for salaried employees and nil-filers whose returns are already pre-populated in the tax system.
“Why would we wait for the people who are filing nil to come and queue at the end of June? We shouldn’t have that. We should have them come early,” stated Obell.
According to the commissioner, the proposed changes are backed by positive revenue performance recorded in recent months. He revealed that approximately 97,000 new taxpayers voluntarily joined the tax system over the last four months and collectively contributed Ksh7.8 billion in revenue.
“Just looking at this year, from people who have never paid a single shilling tax, by now they have paid 7.8 billion. People who have not paid a single coin. And that is just 97,000 taxpayers,” he added.
Obell said the strong response demonstrates that earlier filing timelines can work effectively if taxpayers are provided with accurate and timely information.
To support the proposed shift, the tax authority plans to begin issuing detailed pre-filled tax data to all registered taxpayers starting January 1, 2027. The information will reportedly include data from eTIMS invoices, withholding tax certificates, imports, exports, and other third-party records before the proposed April 30 filing deadline.
The commissioner argued that employees and nil-filers should not be waiting until June when the system already has most of the required information prepared in advance.
“Why would we have employees, purely employees, waiting for June to file? We shouldn’t have that because we’re already pre-filling the return,” he explained.
KRA also noted that its upgraded iTax platform now includes dashboards that allow businesses to monitor sales, purchases, withholding tax certificates, eTIMS invoices, and trade records in real time. The authority believes the improvements will reduce filing errors, lower penalties, and simplify compliance.
Despite KRA’s assurances, the proposal has attracted criticism from sections of the business community and tax experts.
Private sector players argue that businesses already struggle with compliance under Kenya’s complex tax framework and that shortening the filing period could increase pressure on accountants, auditors, and finance departments.
Some stakeholders have also questioned the value of the proposal, noting that the current April 30 balance-of-tax payment deadline was originally intended to give businesses enough time to organize financial records before final filings in June.
Research scholars and tax analysts have also described the proposed changes as unnecessary, warning that the move could increase compliance burdens rather than ease them.
However, Kenya Revenue Authority insists the intention is not to punish taxpayers but to improve efficiency and transparency by giving businesses access to all relevant tax data early enough.
Commissioner Obell further defended the plan by pointing to regional practices, noting that countries such as Rwanda already operate with earlier tax filing timelines, with returns filed by March 1.
He maintained that Kenya should not remain an exception as digital tax systems continue to evolve across the region.