Tax amnesty program. Photo | courtesy.
Over 2.9 million Kenyan taxpayers have received relief under the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) ongoing Tax Amnesty Program, which has so far waived a staggering Sh158 billion in penalties, interest, and fines.
In a statement released by the tax authority, KRA confirmed that the programme launched on December 27, 2024 targets tax debts accumulated up to December 31, 2023.
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As of April 9, 2025, the authority had also collected Kshs. 10.9 billion in principal tax payments from those who qualified for the amnesty.
“This initiative offers taxpayers a unique opportunity to settle past tax matters on favourable terms and move forward on a clean slate,” part of the statement read.
“It’s part of our broader efforts to encourage voluntary compliance and provide relief for those burdened by tax penalties and interest.” the statement read further.
The amnesty program, which runs until June 30, 2025, offers two categories of relief.
Firstly, taxpayers without any outstanding principal tax for the specified period but who had accumulated penalties and interest qualified for an automatic waiver without needing to apply.
Secondly, those with outstanding principal taxes are required to apply for amnesty through the iTax system.
“Taxpayers in this category must submit a structured payment plan and settle their dues by June 30, 2025, to benefit from the waiver,” the tax man explained.
However, KRA clarified that tax debts incurred from January 1, 2024, onwards are not covered under the programme.
“All penalties, interest, and principal taxes for debts after this date remain payable,” KRA emphasized.
For taxpayers with ongoing disputes, KRA is encouraging resolution through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
“We urge taxpayers to use ADR to settle matters quickly and avoid missing the amnesty deadline,” the Authority advised.
