KRA Extends Tax Filing Deadline and Working Hours, Kenyans React
- The Kenya Revenue Authority has announced a new deadline to accommodate last-minute tax filers
- Kenyans flooded the KRA iTax system in a bid to beat the June 30 deadline, leading to system delays
- Kenyans flooded on KRA's communication channels, decrying the system challenges ahead of the deadline
Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has extended its customer service working hours to midnight on June 30 to accommodate last-minute tax filers.
Source: UGC
Additionally, the authority has announced the extension of the tax filing deadline following a surge in complaints over access to the iTax system.
"Tumefungua service lane! 24-hour extension up to tomorrow, 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, midnight to file and pay your returns," KRA said.
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In an attempt to ease the rush and public panic as the tax return filing deadline looms on June 30, KRA announced on Monday that all assistance channels would remain open until midnight.
"Working late for you! Today’s the deadline to file your tax returns—tuko hapa hadi midnight to help you sort it. Usikose! Call us if you need help 👉 020 4 999 999," KRA posted on its social medial platforms.
However, the move has sparked an outcry from frustrated Kenyans, many of whom say the iTax system has been inaccessible to many users during the day.
Why online portals fail
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Doris Mugure, a computer scientist based in Nairobi, explained that websites are designed to cater to a particular number of requests at once.
She noted that if the website receives too many requests at once, it slows down or completely crashes.
"Mostly, websites crash under heavy traffic because server overload occurs when incoming requests exceed what the server was built to handle. When a website receives too many requests, its response time slows or it crashes completely. Some sites rely on databases for logging in, and a sudden spike in website requests to the database can cause a website to slow down or fail to complete tasks such as logging in, as the requests create a bottleneck in the database," Mugure told TUKO.co.ke.
She added that developers can employ strategies such as upgrading to cloud hosting that can scale on demand, use load balancing to distribute traffic or use content delivery networks (CDNs) to offload content based on the system needs as seen by the expert.
How did Kenyans react?
Kenyans on X flooded on the KRA X platform, sharing their frustrations as many failed to access their iTax accounts.
@SaimoShiku:
"The systems aren't working. Can't even do a simple password update!"
@SieleFred
"The system is not working."
@ougomandela:
"The extension will be useless if iTax still remains in the state it is in, 'crushed'. It does not work since Thursday!"
@Iamreinhard_:
"Your system has issues, it should be capable of handling high number of users"
@EdoChirry:
"Sasa mumefungua lane wapi na bado tuko kwa jam. iTax portal still not working."
@poetic_frank:
"Mnafunga system ndo muifungulie kesho surely😓😓"
@Kijana_ya_Coast:
"Mngetupea ata 2 more days,..hio site haifunguki. Leo na kesho itakuwa jam bado."
@NjogaMoses:
"Unless the site is working it's pointless. Add another 1 week"
@Vic_Jr_:
"Mnaextend pia amnesty?"
@sruturi:
"Asante sana @KRACare"
@zebuuuu:
"This is a legally binding notice to say that I have tried filing my returns multiple times from iTax, then tried eCitizen before finally trying the app KRA M-Service, which neither has gone through. Should a penalty or fee be surcharged on me, I will not be liable and hence not pay."
@JMeru_:
"You had from January till yesterday to file returns. Now see the trouble you are in, with a failed system."
Source: Twitter
New tax filing process for PAYE
In other news, KRA announced a new and simplified Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax filing process set to take effect from July 1, 2025.
KRA explained that the revamped system allows employers to file returns by employee category and integrates with platforms like IFMIS, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and HR systems via APIs to streamline the submission of PAYE, the Affordable Housing Levy, and other statutory deductions.
Employers will be required to download and use a specially formatted Excel return form and sample CSV templates from KRA’s website to prepare compliant payroll returns.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
