KRA Tax Compliance Certificate: how to get it, renew it and keep it valid for tenders

What it is

A tax compliance certificate is KRA's statement that, on the date it was issued, the taxpayer had filed every return due and either paid every tax due or agreed a payment plan. It is issued for twelve months against the company's PIN and can be verified online by anyone who holds the certificate number.

It is the most requested document in Kenyan tendering and the single most common reason a bid is thrown out at preliminary evaluation: the certificate was missing, expired, or expiring before the tender's validity period ended.

Who must have it

Every firm that bids. Procuring entities ask for it under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, and most private buyers follow suit. Banks and insurers often ask for it when issuing bid and performance bonds, and AGPO and NCA ask for it when you register or renew.

What must be in order first

• Every return due against the PIN has been filed, including nil returns, for every obligation the company is registered for
• Taxes assessed have been paid, or a payment plan has been agreed with KRA and is being honoured
• PAYE, VAT and withholding tax, where applicable, are filed and paid for every month
• The directors' personal tax affairs are in order; KRA may look at them when assessing a company
• The company's details on iTax match the registration documents

How to apply, step by step

• Sign in to iTax with the company's PIN and password.
• Open the certificates menu and choose the tax compliance certificate application.
• State why you need it; the tender or business reason is enough.
• Submit. If the PIN is clear, KRA approves the application and the certificate is emailed and available for download on iTax.
• If it is rejected, iTax states the obligation or amount outstanding. Clear it, then apply again.
• Verify the certificate on iTax's checker before you attach it, and keep the PDF in your vault.

Validity and renewal

The certificate is valid for twelve months from the date of issue, not from the date you first use it. Read the tender's validity requirement: many entities want a certificate that is valid on the closing date, and some want it valid for the whole tender validity period after that. Apply for a new one well before the old one lapses, since a rejected application can take time to resolve if returns or payments are behind.

A certificate cannot be extended. Renewal means a fresh application, which KRA assesses again from scratch.

Why bids get thrown out over it

• The certificate expired before the closing date, sometimes by days.
• A certificate was attached that could not be verified online, or that belonged to a director rather than the company.
• The application was still pending when the bid closed.
• The tender asked for a certificate valid for a period after closing, and the one attached ran out inside it.

How Tendakazi helps

The vault records the issue and expiry dates and reminds you at 60, 30 and 7 days before the certificate lapses, by email and SMS, so a renewal is never a surprise. Every tender our analysts read is checked against the certificate you hold, including the validity the entity demands.

If the application is blocked by unfiled returns or arrears, our accounting team can file what is outstanding and clear the PIN as a quoted service, then obtain the certificate. The new certificate replaces the old one in the vault, with the history kept.

Questions