Wamuzi News KeIn a tense turn of events late Monday, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) issued a dramatic 24-hour extension for the 2024 tax-filing deadline, pushing the cutoff from midnight on June 30 to midnight on July 1. The emergency move comes amid widespread system failures and soaring frustration among last-minute filers.
Taxpayers slam portal collapse
Outrage erupted across social media as the KRA’s iTax portal buckled under heavy traffic in the final hours. “The systems aren’t working… iTax portal still not working,” vented one taxpayer on X, as others decried disrupted OTP verification and access errors.
KRA responds with ‘service lane’ and extended hours
In an urgent statement, the taxman declared: “We have opened the service lane! 24‑hour extension up to tomorrow, 1 July, midnight to file and pay your returns!”
To ease the crunch, KRA has extended its service centre hours nationwide—from 8 am to 8 pm—and staffed its contact centre from 7 am to 8 pm on July 1. Taxpayers can still file online or visit offices for in-person assistance.
Legal obligations include NIL returns
Under the Income Tax Act, every individual or entity with a KRA PIN must file annual tax returns by June 30—even those with no income, who must submit NIL returns. The extension targets all eligible taxpayers: salaried employees, business owners, landlords, farmers, and others.
Penalties loom for late filers
KRA warns that missing even the extended deadline triggers fines: a minimum Ksh2,000 or 5 percent of the owed tax. Late payments incur an extra 5 percent penalty plus 1 percent monthly interest until fully settled.
A repeat of May’s early warning
This is the second time KRA has intervened. In May, it extended office hours ahead of schedule, keeping service points open 12 to 17 hours daily to ease expected congestion ahead of June 30.
Why it matters
With Kenya pushing to expand its tax base, millions of taxpayers are under pressure to comply. The sudden deadline shift exposes weak system resilience and could fuel wider public backlash if technical failures persist.
For now, relief reigns—for just one more day.
