KRA Announces Waiver of Penalties, Interest After iTax Downtime

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced a waiver of penalties and interest accrued by taxpayers following intermittent downtime of the iTax portal.

The disruption, witnessed on Wednesday, September 16, affected the normal functioning of return filing and payment services.

KRA said the waiver would cover penalties and interest resulting from the system downtime during the affected period.

"Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) wishes to inform taxpayers that, following the recent intermittent downtime of the iTax portal, which affected the normal functioning of return filing and payment services, the Authority will waive penalties and interest accrued as a result of the system downtime in the Month of September, 2026," the authority said in a statement.

KRA said the waiver would be implemented under the provisions of the Tax Procedures Act, with the period of system inaccessibility taken into consideration.

"The waiver will be effected in accordance with Section 89(5A) of the Tax Procedures Act, taking into account the period during which the affected iTax services were unavailable or intermittently inaccessible," the statement added.

KRA said it would conduct system processes to identify the penalties and interest directly attributable to the verified downtime period before applying the waiver.

"KRA will undertake the necessary system processes to ensure that penalties and interest attributable to the verified period of system downtime are waived," the statement further read.

KRA also apologised to taxpayers for the disruption and thanked them for their patience as it addressed the challenges affecting the iTax portal.

"The Authority regrets the inconvenience caused and appreciates taxpayers for their patience and cooperation. KRA remains committed to facilitating compliance by providing reliable solutions," the statement concluded.

Earlier Wednesday, KRA notified taxpayers of intermittent disruptions affecting its iTax system, meaning taxpayers may encounter difficulties using the platform at different times.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, September 16, the authority said its technical teams were working to address the problem and restore normal operations.

"We are currently experiencing intermittent disruptions affecting the iTax system.

"Our technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue and restore normal services as soon as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused," the agency said.