iTax System Locks Out Many Taxpayers as June 30 Filing Deadline Looms

Thousands of taxpayers faced difficulties logging into the Kenya Revenue Authority’s iTax platform on Monday. The problems came as many rushed to meet the June 30 deadline for annual income tax returns.

Some users encountered broken links and error messages when trying to access the portal. Others reported repeated failed attempts throughout the day.

Under Kenyan law, failure to file by the deadline attracts penalties. In some cases, the authority can issue default assessments.

The congestion is not new. Since iTax was introduced in 2013, the system has routinely experienced heavy traffic in the final days of the filing period.

Experts said compliant taxpayers should not be penalised for system failures. Steve Okoth, Director and Regional Head of Tax at BDO East Africa, called for upgrades to handle peak loads.

He suggested stress-testing the platform before the season, providing real-time updates during outages and considering deadline extensions when technical issues affect compliance.

Social media platforms filled with complaints from frustrated users. Some appealed for an extension, arguing the outage was beyond their control.

Experiences varied by Monday evening. While some eventually succeeded after multiple tries, others remained locked out.

Okoth noted better success rates with Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox compared to Google Chrome for some users.

Every holder of a KRA PIN with an income tax obligation must file an annual return. This includes individuals with no taxable income.

The June filing deadline is one of KRA’s busiest periods each year. Millions of taxpayers are required to comply.

KRA had not responded to questions on the outage by close of business Monday. An official attributed the disruption to too many simultaneous users.

The authority has in the past mounted campaigns urging early filing. Many taxpayers still wait until the last minute.

Previous proposals to abolish mandatory annual returns for certain categories were shelved. KRA views the requirement as essential for compliance and data collection.

The iTax issues come as the authority continues to expand digital services. Other tax heads such as PAYE and VAT follow different monthly filing cycles.

Taxpayers who managed to submit returns expressed relief. Others said they would try again early Tuesday before the deadline.