Kenya: Kenya Revenue Authority closes in on tax evaders

 

July 23 2013

The noose is tightening around tax evaders. This comes as Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) plans to install enhanced Electronic Tax Register (ETRs) machines by end December.

KRA Commissioner-General John Njiraini said the project to implement remote transmission of ETRs data has commenced and will be complete by end of the year.

He was speaking at the releasing the agency’s revenue performance results for the 2012/13. The move spells high noon for unscrupulous traders who have been exploiting the manual systems to falsify monthly tax returns.

The taxman is developing a system that links taxpayers’ transactions at the point of sale or in business outlets to a database in real time.

The project, however, means businesspeople will have to incur more costs to acquire new machines or modify them to be compatible to the new system. “The process will enable effective monitoring of ETRs to track usage, disconnection and locality, among others,” Njiraini said. “The initiative will capture data on buyers for the purpose of implementing customers’ loyalty programme.

This is one of the key strategies we will pursue the financial year to enhance revenue collection.” ETR machines were introduced in 2004. Traders were supposed to install the machines to enable them charge VAT on goods.

Traders were to source the machines from certified suppliers and then demand the cost of the machine as an expense from the taxman.  The process was later muddled with fake supplies. Unscrupulous traders made it difficult for the taxman to implement the reforms.

 

Source: Standard Media