NAIROBI, Kenya — If you were dreading that tax deadline or scrambling to file at the last minute, breathe easy — you’ve got one more day.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has just thrown taxpayers a lifeline by extending the annual tax return deadline by 24 hours, moving the new cutoff to midnight on Monday, July 1, 2025.
In a cheeky Sunday evening announcement, KRA posted, “Tumefungua service lane! 24-hour extension up to tomorrow, 1st July 2025, midnight to file and pay your returns!”
Yes, they really did open a “service lane” for the procrastinators — and it just might save you from a nasty penalty.
KRA also confirmed that working hours would be extended at service centers on Monday to accommodate the inevitable flood of last-minute filers.
If you’ve been juggling receipts, invoices, or wondering how to submit a NIL return, now’s your chance.
Let’s get one thing straight: filing annual tax returns isn’t optional — whether you’re a salaried employee, a landlord in Eldoret, a farmer in Murang’a, or a boda boda operator with side hustles.
Even if you didn’t earn a single shilling all year, you’re still expected to file a NIL return.
And no, the fact that your employer already deducts Pay As You Earn (PAYE) doesn’t get you off the hook. Filing is still mandatory.
So why does this matter?
Because skipping the tax return deadline comes with a price. KRA slaps late filers with a penalty of either five percent of the tax due or Sh2,000 — whichever is higher. That’s a high cost for forgetting to click “submit.”
The extension comes as thousands of Kenyans logged onto the iTax system over the weekend, many of them battling error messages, slow servers, or just confusion about what counts as income. Social media has been flooded with calls for more time — and for once, KRA listened.
This extra day could be the difference between peace of mind and a regrettable fine.
So, whether you’re declaring your rental income, itemizing your side hustle, or filing NIL to stay compliant, there’s no excuse now. The clock’s ticking — July 1 at midnight is your new finish line.
