Taxman loses Sh13b to rising VAT fraud
Business
By
Sofia Ali
| Jun 11, 2025
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has raised the alarm over a sharp rise in Value-Added Tax (VAT) fraud involving nil and non-filers, revealing that it lost an estimated Sh13 billion in revenue between April 2024 and July 2025.
This was on account of fraudulent tax practices primarily linked to the re-emergence of the Missing Trader scheme, which involves companies issuing eTIMS-compliant invoices but failing to remit the corresponding VAT.
These so-called missing traders have exploited gaps in the tax system, undermining government revenue collection efforts.
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An analysis by KRA shows that 10,771 taxpayers claimed purchases worth Sh29.8 billion from 2,750 nil or non-filing entities during the reporting period, leading to a Sh4.7 billion VAT shortfall.
Additionally, the same category of traders issued invoices amounting to Sh35 billion, corresponding to Sh5.6 billion in unremitted VAT.
The problem also extends to newly registered businesses. KRA flagged 120 new VAT registrants, who transmitted taxable sales worth Sh11.5 billion but neither filed returns nor remitted VAT, resulting in an additional loss of Sh1.8 billion.
"In some cases, we've discovered that fraudsters are registering new companies using stolen identities to facilitate VAT evasion," said Deputy Commissioner for the Micro and Small Taxpayers (MST) Department Dr Gideon Muhwa.
To address the crisis, KRA has intensified the use of the VAT Special Table, an enforcement tool introduced in August 2022 through the iTax system.
This mechanism targets a range of non-compliant behaviours, including habitual non-filing, persistent nil return submissions, failure to remit VAT after filing, and refusal to transition to the eTIMS platform. "You cannot file returns while on the Special Table, and invoices you issue become ineligible for VAT claims," explained Dr Muhwa.
As of now, more than 101,000 taxpayers have been placed on the Special Table, some remaining there for over two years. However, the designation is not permanent.