Tax Registration in Kenya
Registration of the company with KRA on iTax for a company PIN — the gateway to instalment tax, VAT, PAYE and withholding tax — followed by the obligation registrations the business actually triggers. VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies reach KES 5,000,000 or more in a 12-month period, with voluntary registration allowed below that; the standard VAT rate is 16%, there is a zero rate and some exempt supplies, and every VAT-registered taxpayer must onboard eTIMS (etims.kra.go.ke) and generate its tax invoices from it. eTIMS reaches beyond VAT: from 2026 business expenses must be supported by eTIMS-compliant invoices to be deductible, so businesses below the VAT threshold are drawn in too. A resident company is taxed at 30%; KRA's companies-and-partnerships page puts non-resident companies, which includes branches of foreign companies, at 37.5%. A small resident business with turnover between KES 1,000,000 and KES 25,000,000 falls under turnover tax at 3% instead of the normal regime. An employer additionally registers for PAYE and for NSSF, SHIF and the Affordable Housing Levy.
3–10 business days
KES
What we will need from you
Upload these once. They are stored encrypted and reused across every service you buy from us.
Certificate of incorporation or registration and the BRS registration number
Directors' or partners' KRA PINs and ID or passport copies
Physical business address in Kenya and the nature of the business activity
Expected annual turnover, to fix the VAT and turnover-tax position
VAT registration is mandatory at KES 5,000,000 of taxable supplies in 12 months; turnover tax applies to resident businesses in the KES 1,000,000–25,000,000 band at 3%.
Employee and payroll details, where staff are engaged
For PAYE plus the statutory funds — NSSF (reported as 12% of pensionable pay, split 6% employer / 6% employee across Tier I and Tier II with lower and upper earnings limits), SHIF (reported as 2.75% of gross salary, replacing NHIF from 1 October 2024) and the Affordable Housing Levy (reported as 1.5% employee plus 1.5% employer, collected by KRA). Those three rates come from EY and payroll-calculator summaries, NOT from the SHA, NSSF or KRA primary pages — confirm on sha.go.ke, nssf.or.ke and kra.go.ke before relying on a figure.
Cost breakdown
Our fee and the government’s are always separate lines. Government fees are passed through at exactly what the authority charges — we add nothing to them.
| KRA PIN, VAT, PAYE and eTIMS registration on iTax | Confirmed before payment |
| Comriq professional fee | Fixed fee within 1 business day |
How it runs
You will see these exact stages update in your client portal as we progress.
Company KRA PIN Issued
The company is registered on iTax and its PIN issued, activating the income-tax and instalment-tax obligations.
VAT Registered
VAT registration filed where taxable supplies reach KES 5,000,000 in a 12-month period, or voluntarily below the threshold.
eTIMS Onboarded
The business is onboarded to eTIMS and begins issuing compliant tax invoices — required of every VAT-registered taxpayer and, from 2026, needed for expenses to be deductible.
Employer Registrations
PAYE registration on iTax plus enrolment with NSSF, the Social Health Authority (SHIF) and the Affordable Housing Levy, where staff are engaged.
Ready to start?
This one is priced to your situation — most of what we do needs a local filing agent, so we scope it rather than guess. Tell us the specifics and we come back with a fixed quote and a confirmed timeline, within one business day.
Not sure this is the right service? A paid expert call is credited against your order.
Verified September 2026
Requirements and statutory fees are set by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) — iTax and eTIMS; NSSF, the Social Health Authority (SHIF) and the Affordable Housing Levy for employers and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.