KRA Announces 4-Hour iTax Downtime

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced a temporary downtime of its iTax system, the online platform used by taxpayers across the country for filing returns and accessing tax-related services. 

In a notice shared on X on Friday, May 8, KRA said the system will undergo scheduled maintenance on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 6:00 am to 10:00 am.

According to the tax authority, all iTax services will be unavailable during the four-hour maintenance window, affecting individuals, businesses, and agents who rely on the platform for various tax transactions.

“Please be advised that there will be a scheduled maintenance of iTax from Sunday, 10th May, 2026, 6:00 AM to Sunday, 10th May, 2026, 10:00 AM. All iTax users will be affected during this period, and the system will be inaccessible. We regret any inconvenience caused," KRA said in the statement. 

The announcement comes at a time when many taxpayers are actively using the platform for tax compliance processes, including filing returns, generating payment slips, and updating tax records.

Meanwhile, the tax body recently raised an alarm over a massive structural imbalance in the national tax system, revealing that only 8,139,167 taxpayers are active out of a registered base of 20,205,402. 

According to the numbers, only 40% of registered individuals and entities contribute to the national purse, leaving a significant portion of the population outside the tax net. 

The data which was presented by the KRA team during an engagement with the Kenya Editors Guild, highlights a compliance gap that complicates government fiscal planning and revenue targets.  

According to KRA, the tax burden is heavily concentrated among formal sector employees. While the active participation rate for Personal Income Tax (PIT) and Corporate Income Tax (CIT) is a low 12% each, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) maintains a 70% active engagement rate. This disparity exists because PAYE is deducted at source by employers, making it easier to administer and enforce. 

A staggering 97.7% gap exists in Personal Income Tax collection. While KRA currently collects Ksh 12.5 billion in PIT, the estimated potential is over Ksh 500 billion.  

This shortfall is driven by four primary compliance failure modes: non-filers who never submit returns, "NIL filers" who declare zero liability despite active operations, under-declaration of income, and unregistered businesses. These factors allow a vast amount of revenue to remain hidden in plain sight or invisible to current enforcement.