The Kenya Revenue Authority announced that Kenyans who need to make nil tax returns will be able to start filing their tax returns from March 31, 2026, as soon as the authority’s system checks are completed.
In a notice released on Friday, February 20, KRA explained that they disabled the option for making nil tax returns for the 2025 tax year because many people were misusing the option.
According to KRA, a review of their iTax system indicated that some people were misusing the option for making nil tax returns.
Once the update process is completed, only those who genuinely have no income for the 2025 tax year will be able to make nil tax returns starting from March 31.
KRA explained that some people were misusing the option for making nil tax returns because they were declaring zero income despite the fact that they were earning some income from their sources such as their salaries, small businesses, side hustles, freelance work, or rent.
KRA said that declaring nil tax returns while earning some income from these sources is against the law and encouraged Kenyans to be honest while making their tax returns.
In their notice, KRA said that some people were making nil tax returns because they believed they did not have any income to declare, yet they actually did earn some income during the tax year.
The announcement comes two weeks after KRA announced a new tax filing plan for the 2025 tax year.
In the new plan, the KRA announced that the tax filing process will be done in phases. This means that the tax authority will not be overwhelmed as people make their tax returns.
In the new plan, the KRA explained that a group will be created based on the complexity of the income. They also announced that they will send alerts via SMS and email.
Read Also: How to File KRA Nil Returns (2025/2026 Step-by-Step Guide)
