How to file your KRA tax return on iTax if you are employed

If you have a KRA PIN, you are expected to file an income tax return every year, even if your employer already deducts PAYE from your salary. For most employees it takes less than half an hour once you have your P9 form. This guide walks through it.

KRA updates iTax and its rules from time to time. Check kra.go.ke for the current process and deadline, or ask a tax adviser if your situation is not simple.

When is the deadline?

Individual returns for a year are due by 30 June of the following year. For example, the return for income earned from January to December 2026 is due by 30 June 2027. Filing early avoids the slow portal and queues of the last days.

What is a P9 form?

The P9 is a summary your employer gives you after the end of the year, showing your pay, taxable benefits, the PAYE deducted and the reliefs applied, month by month. You need it to fill in your return. Ask your HR or payroll office if you have not received it. If you had more than one employer in the year, get a P9 from each.

How do you file your return on iTax?

1. Log in to iTax with your KRA PIN and password.
2. Go to Returns, then File Return, and choose Income Tax – Resident Individual.
3. Choose the year you are filing for. iTax often pre-fills employment income from your employer's records; check it against your P9.
4. Enter or confirm the figures from your P9, and add any other income and reliefs you qualify for.
5. Submit, and download the acknowledgement receipt. Keep it.

If iTax shows tax still due, pay it before the deadline. If it shows a refund due, it will be processed after checks.

What is a nil return?

If you had no income in the year, for example because you were a student or unemployed, you still file, but a nil return. On iTax choose the nil return option for income tax. It takes a few minutes and keeps your PIN compliant.

What happens if you file late?

KRA charges a penalty for late filing, currently KES 2,000 or 5% of the tax due, whichever is higher, plus interest on any unpaid tax. You also cannot get a tax compliance certificate, which many employers, tenders and government jobs ask for.

Why does a tax compliance certificate matter for jobs?

Many government, county and NGO jobs, and some private ones, ask for a KRA tax compliance certificate with your application or before you start. You can only get one if your returns are filed and taxes paid. File every year, and your certificate is ready when you need it.

Want to understand your pay first?

Read our guide to your Kenyan payslip and check your numbers with the take-home pay calculator.