Tax Compliance for Kenyan Businesses

Tax is one of the largest and most closely watched costs of doing business in Kenya. This course gives accountants, finance officers, business owners and managers a practical grounding in business tax compliance: corporation tax, VAT and eTIMS, withholding taxes, customs and excise, turnover and rental income taxes, and how to handle KRA audits, objections and appeals.

The course teaches principles and processes that stay useful when the law changes. Rates, thresholds, deadlines and penalties are shown as examples of the law as at 2026. They are expected to change through the annual Finance Act and later amendments, so every lesson reminds you to confirm the current position with KRA, the Tax Appeals Tribunal, the Kenya Gazette or a registered tax agent. All the figures are collected in a dated reference table at the end of the course.

PAYE and the payroll levies are covered in the companion course, Payroll Administration in Kenya.

What you will learn

• How Kenya’s tax system works, the business’s roles as taxpayer and collector, and the Acts KRA administers
• How to register obligations on your KRA PIN, keep a valid Tax Compliance Certificate and keep records that win disputes
• How to turn accounting profit into taxable income, including deductions, capital allowances, losses and instalment tax
• How VAT works in Kenya, from registration and zero-rating to eTIMS invoices, input tax and monthly returns
• How to manage withholding taxes, customs and excise, turnover tax and Monthly Rental Income tax
• How to price related-party transactions, use tax treaties and deal with digital services
• How to run a compliance calendar, handle audits and objections, use amnesty and disclosure options and manage tax risk

How the course works

There are five modules, each with four lessons and a short quiz. You need 70% on each quiz to complete the course and earn your certificate.