The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has confirmed that its Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) Online Portal is unavailable due to a technical issue.
In a notice issued on July 24, the tax authority said its technical team was working to resolve the problem and restore normal service.
“The eTIMS Online Portal is currently unavailable due to a technical issue. Our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore normal service. We regret any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued patience,” the authority said.
The outage disrupted access to the online portal used by taxpayers to generate electronic tax invoices.
Users began reporting difficulties accessing the eTIMS platform from Wednesday, July 22, after the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced a scheduled maintenance exercise that was expected to last 20 hours, from 6:00 p.m. on July 22 to 2:00 p.m. on July 23.
However, by July 24, some taxpayers said they were still unable to access the platform, prompting KRA to issue another notice confirming that the eTIMS Online Portal was unavailable due to a technical issue.
Following the announcement, taxpayers expressed frustrations, with many saying they had been unable to access the system for hours and criticizing what they described as delayed communication from the tax authority.
Responding to a user identified as Prince June Jnr, who asked whether the eTIMS system had resumed working, KRA said it was still addressing the issue.
“We kindly request your patience as we address the issue. Further updates will be shared once the system has been fully stabilized,” KRA replied.
One user said the eTIMS platform was still not working despite KRA having scheduled a 20-hour maintenance exercise, arguing that the inconvenience was unnecessary.
Taxpayers Pour Out Frustrations
Some users said they had experienced difficulties since the previous day, arguing that the outage was not an isolated incident despite eTIMS being mandatory for issuing electronic tax invoices and claiming business expenses.
“Since yesterday and sadly this isn’t the first time. It’s baffling that KRA made eTIMS mandatory for claiming expenses, yet the system remains so unreliable,” one user, Kiplang’at Godia, wrote.
Others faulted KRA for issuing the notice late, saying they had spent the better part of the day trying to access the platform before the authority acknowledged the problem.
“This has come in late when users of the system have been struggling to access the system the whole day. You can do better next time to communicate,” another user, Marill K Philemon, commented.
Some users also urged KRA to schedule system maintenance during weekends or at night to minimize disruptions to businesses, while others expressed frustration over being unable to generate invoices throughout the day.
Another taxpayer reported experiencing multiple challenges with the platform, including difficulties resetting a password, logging in, and generating invoices.
What is eTIMS?
The Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) is a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) digital platform that enables businesses to generate and manage electronic tax invoices.
The system is designed to simplify tax compliance by providing a flexible and convenient way to issue invoices electronically.
eTIMS can be accessed on a range of devices, including computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
Who is Required to Use eTIMS?
KRA requires all persons engaged in business to register for eTIMS and issue electronic tax invoices, regardless of whether they are registered for Value Added Tax (VAT).
This includes:
- Companies, partnerships, sole proprietorships, associations and trusts.
- Individuals and businesses with income tax obligations, including Monthly Rental Income (MRI) Tax, Turnover Tax (TOT) and Annual Income Tax.
- Businesses operating in both the formal and informal sectors.
- Businesses supplying VAT-exempt goods and services, such as hospitals, schools, tour and travel operators, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in business activities.
However, where goods or services are supplied by a small business enterprise with an annual turnover of KSh5 million or less, the purchaser is required to issue a tax invoice on the supplier’s behalf.
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