The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has officially brought back the Tax Amnesty Programme, giving Kenyan taxpayers a rare chance to clear old tax debts without worrying about penalties, interest or fines. In a statement released on Friday, July 3, 2026, the taxman announced that the programme was reintroduced under the Finance Act, 2026, and will run from July 1, 2026, all the way to December 31, 2026.
This is great news for many Kenyans who have been struggling with tax debts that have been weighing them down for years. Under this amnesty, KRA will waive 100% of penalties, interest and fines on tax debts that accumulated up to December 31, 2025.
The move is part of the government's effort to ease the financial burden on taxpayers while encouraging more people to voluntarily comply with tax laws.
If you are one of those taxpayers who already cleared your principal tax in full by December 31, 2025, you are in luck. KRA says you will automatically get a full waiver on any outstanding penalties and interest. No application is required, meaning the system will handle it for you.
For those who have no principal tax to pay but are facing late filing penalties, there is also good news. Once you file all your outstanding tax returns, KRA will automatically waive those penalties. This is a golden opportunity for anyone who has been procrastinating on filing their returns.
Now, if you still owe principal tax from before 2026, here is what you need to do. Pay the entire principal amount during this amnesty period, and KRA will immediately waive all the corresponding penalties and interest.
But what if you cannot afford to pay everything at once? No problem. KRA has introduced structured payment plans through the iTax system for taxpayers who need to spread their payments. However, you must ensure that all principal taxes under your payment plan are fully cleared by December 31, 2026, to qualify for the waiver.
It is important to note that this amnesty does not cover tax debts that arose on or after January 1, 2026. Those taxes, along with any penalties and interest, must be paid in full.
Also, if you are currently in a tax dispute or litigation, KRA advises you to use their Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework to settle your principal amounts and unlock the amnesty benefits.
KRA has reminded taxpayers that this programme builds on the success of previous amnesty cycles, which helped recover Kshs. 80.9 billion in principal tax payments while regularising thousands of taxpayers.
The authority is urging everyone to log into the KRA iTax Portal early and avoid the last-minute rush as the year-end approaches.
This is your moment to breathe easy and start afresh. Do not wait until the deadline passes. UsinGoje deadline!
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