The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced four significant updates to its Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), designed to simplify compliance and enhance taxpayer convenience.
In a statement released on Wednesday, February 26, KRA outlined key improvements, including self-onboarding for taxpayers, simultaneous use of multiple eTIMS solutions, enhanced invoice accessibility across platforms, and improved integration with third-party systems.
1. Self-Onboarding Eliminates KRA Approval Requirement
KRA has removed the need for its approval when applying for eTIMS, enabling taxpayers to register and access the system independently.
“The system upgrade allows for self-onboarding by eliminating the requirement for eTIMS approval of taxpayer applications by KRA. This means that taxpayers can now apply for any of the available eTIMS solutions without requiring intervention from KRA. The taxpayer will receive a text message confirming the application as being successful,” KRA explained.
2. Multi-Solution Usage for Flexible Invoicing
Taxpayers can now generate invoices from multiple eTIMS solutions at the same time, giving them greater flexibility in their invoicing processes.
“The improvements made on eTIMS will also enable taxpayers to use the different eTIMS solutions simultaneously to generate invoices at their convenience. For instance, taxpayers using eTIMS Client as their primary invoicing solution can now add the portal as a secondary invoicing option and vice versa. This change eliminates the need for KRA’s approval to facilitate changes of devices or solutions,” KRA stated.
3. Cross-Platform Invoice Accessibility
The upgraded system allows users to access invoices generated across various eTIMS platforms, including the eTIMS Client, System to System integration solutions, and the eCitizen portal.
To maintain accuracy, each solution will have its own unique invoice sequence. However, KRA noted that credit notes must be generated from the same solution where the original invoice was issued.
“eTIMS now allows taxpayers to access all invoices generated from different eTIMS solutions such as eTIMS Client, System to System integration solutions (VSCU & OSCU), and the eCitizen portal through the online taxpayer portal. Each solution will have its own invoice sequence to keep every invoice unique. However, credit notes can only be generated from the solution where the original invoice was raised. This synchronization enhances the accuracy and consistency of tax invoice data across platforms as it harmonizes data across multiple solutions,” KRA elaborated.
4. Improved Third-Party System Integration
Businesses using System to System integration can now connect with multiple third-party integrators, increasing operational flexibility.
“In addition, taxpayers using the System to System integration approach as their primary solution can now integrate with more than one third-party integrator. This flexibility allows taxpayers to add a secondary device from another integrator by adding a branch under the Device Management section accessed through their online portal,” KRA stated.
These updates mark a significant step towards streamlining tax compliance and enhancing efficiency for businesses using eTIMS. Stay informed for further developments on Kenya’s tax system.
