KRA Sets Deadline for 2027 Customs Agents Licence Renewal

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced the deadline for Customs agents to submit applications for renewal of their licences for the 2027 operating period.

In a statement on Monday, September 21, KRA said the licences for Customs agents will expire on December 31, 2026, except for Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) licences issued for a three-year period.

The tax authority reminded Customs agents that the licensing requirements are provided for under the East African Community Customs Management Act and Regulations.

"Provision relating to the licensing of Customs agents are contained in Section 145 of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 and Regulation 149-152 of the East African Community Customs Management Regulation, 2010," the statement read.

KRA said all licensed Customs agents seeking renewal must submit their applications through the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) platform.

"The application for renewal is for all Licensed Customs agents and should be submitted through Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) platform, http://icms.kra.go.ke, on or before 31st October, 2026," the statement added.

KRA urged Customs agents to ensure their applications are submitted by the October 31, 2026 deadline to facilitate the renewal process ahead of the expiry of the current licences.

The authority said applicants must provide several supporting documents alongside their renewal applications.

The required documents include a duly filled Form C20, which is available on the KRA website, as well as the current 2026 Certificate of Registration (CR12/CR13).

Applicants are also required to submit a valid Tax Compliance Certificate for the company and a Certificate of Bond and Debt Clearance.

Other requirements include a copy of the previous C21 licence and a KIFWA Clearance Certificate for the year of application.

This comes days after KRA 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.