KRA Suspends Filing of Nil Returns 

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has temporarily suspended the filing of nil returns for the tax period covering January to December 2025.

In response to queries by Kenyans who were unable to access the service on Friday, January 23, KRA noted that the filing of nil returns will become available from May 1, 2026.

"Kindly note the Nil return option is temporarily unavailable, kindly be patient as It is scheduled to be restored on May 1st, apologies for any inconvenience caused," KRA responded to queries raised by taxpayers on X.

On her part, Patience Njau, who is the Deputy Commissioner for Taxpayer Services, stated that the taxman will use the suspension period to review its data and turn some of the nil filers to taxpayers.

Also Read: How to File KRA Tax Returns on eCitizen & iTax Portal

She explained that KRA will be using data from eTIMs records, employment records and Witholding taxes to prepopulate tax returns as has been the case for employed Kenyans.

The prepopulated information will then be used to assess whether an individual with a pin should file nil returns.

 "Nil filing will be reopened once we have reviewed the data and confirmed that no transactions occurred during the year. This is meant to ensure that the tax burden is shared more fairly," she stated.

Njau also expressed that few Kenyans had been burdened with taxes, especially those in the formal employment, while several individuals who earn in the informal sector or have rental income fail to pay taxes.

The deadline for the filing of tax returns for all Kenyans is usually set at June 30 every year, before the start of a new financial year.

Also Read: KRA Changes the Process of Filing Taxes for Salaried Individuals; How It Will Work

The nil return option is used by many Kenyans who do not have an income, yet they have KRA Pins.

Last year, over 12 million Kenyans are reported to have filled nill returns.

KRA has also been digitizing its systems to enhance tax compliance among Kenyans. Last year, the taxman introduced the filing of taxes via the eCitizen platform.

This week, KRA also introduced a chatbot on WhatsApp that can help Kenyans file their taxes on the iTax platform. The chatbot has been designed to give a step to step guide to users on how to file their taxes.

Kenyans can access the KRA WhatsApp chatbot by saving the official number +254 711 099 999 and starting a chat on WhatsApp by sending “Hi” or “Menu.”