Heavy price to pay for Kenyans who fail to file KRA tax returns by 30th June

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will be closing its online tax filing deadline on 30th June 2017 (tomorrow). The taxmen have since maintained this stand on not extending the deadline thereafter. Taxpayers who fail to file their returns will accrue charges of 20, 000 shillings for every day that counts compared to last year’s 1,000 shillings.

“We are filing the 2016 Income Tax returns and the penalty for failure to file these returns is Sh20,000 or five per cent of the tax due, whichever is higher.” Said Wanja Wang’ondu, KRA acting assistant manager, domestic taxes, Nairobi region.

For those who did not file their taxes on June 2015 and June 2016 will also pay a penalty of Sh1,000.

“If someone want to get a tax compliance certificate today, we won’t issue it until they first pay the penalty for 2016,” said Ms Wanja Wang’ondu.

That being said, most Kenyans are still in the dark on the reasons behind filing tax returns. According to the taxman most employers have already given their employees the P9-A forms and thus, the staff members do not have a reason of not filing their taxes. Now that the deadline is tomorrow, employees are up and down trying to file their taxes while this could have been done earlier. Never wait for the deadline to file your taxes as this might heavily cost you.