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About 1.3 million Kenyans have filed their tax returns three weeks to the June 30th deadline, setting a new record.
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said the compliance represented an improvement by 400,000 compared to tax returns filed between January and April in 2017.
The taxman said some 2.4 million individuals and businesses submitted their returns by end of June, 2016, meaning thousands other businesspeople and employees failed to file.
KRA has announced extension of its working hours in Huduma Centres to give employees more time to file their returns as the deadline nears. Huduma Centres will now open at 7:30am to 6pm compared to 8:00 am to 5pm before.
38 KRA service centres across the country and 51 in Huduma Centres countrywide are open to help those who wish to meet the obligation.
“Taxpayers who encounter challenges in filing returns are encouraged to reach out through the KRA national contact centre for more assistance,” said KRA in a statement on Friday.
All Kenyans with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) must file returns annually, including a nil return. Failure to file returns now attracts Sh20,000 fine from Sh1,000 after the enhanced fines passed in 2015 took effect last year.
The taxman netted Sh1.365 trillion in the year ended June 2017, falling short of the targeted Sh1.44 trillion. KRA expects to collect Sh1.7 trillion at the end of June 2018.
Kenyans living in the Diaspora are also expected to file tax returns by the June 30th deadline.