Aiden Kiprop 
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has upgraded the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) platform.This is in an effort to improve the taxpayer experience and simplify taxpayer services.
The improvements made on eTIMS aim to simplify the onboarding process, increase system flexibility, enhance efficiency, optimize performance and provide taxpayers with a more streamlined user-friendly experience.
The system upgrade allows for self-onboarding by eliminating the requirement for eTIMS approval of taxpayer applications by KRA.
This means that taxpayers can now apply for any of the available eTIMS solutions without requiring intervention from KRA.
The taxpayer will receive a text message confirming the application as being successful. The improvements made on eTIMS will also enable taxpayers to use the different eTIMS solutions simultaneously to generate invoices at their convenience.
For instance, taxpayers using eTIMS Client as their primary invoicing solution can now add the online portal as a secondary invoicing option and vice versa.
This change eliminates the need for KRA’s approval to facilitate change of devices or solutions. eTIMS now allows taxpayers to access all invoices generated from different eTIMS solutions such as eTIMS Client, System to System integration solutions (VSCU & OSCU) and the eCitizen portal through the online taxpayer portal.
Each solution will have its own invoice sequence to keep every invoice unique. However, credit notes can only be generated from the solution where the original invoice was raised.
This synchronization enhances the accuracy and consistency of tax invoice data across platforms as it harmonizes data across multiple solutions.
In addition, taxpayers using the System to System integration approach as their primary solution can now integrate with more than one third-party integrator.
This flexibility allows taxpayers to add a secondary device from another integrator by adding a branch under the Device Management section accessed through their online portal.
The upgraded system aligns with KRA’s commitment to leveraging technology to simplify tax compliance and ensure a seamless process for all taxpayers.
