What Every Business Owner Should Know About Taxes in Kenya

If you're running a business—even a side hustle on Instagram—you owe taxes. But don’t panic. Understanding taxes is a big step toward being taken seriously, scaling your business, and staying out of trouble with KRA.
Here’s what you need to know.
🧾 1. You’re a Business—even Without an Office
Selling thrifted clothes? Custom cakes? Digital services?
KRA sees that as taxable income. Once your annual income hits Ksh 1M+, you’re required to register for VAT.
💡 Tip: If you’re just starting, you can register as a sole proprietor or a small business for Turnover Tax.
📌 2. There Are 3 Main Taxes You’ll Deal With
Income Tax – what you earn
VAT (if registered) – what you charge customers
Turnover Tax – for small businesses earning less than Ksh 5M/year
📍You may also need to file Nil Returns if your business is inactive.
💼 3. Keep Records, or Pay the Price
KRA needs proof of:
Sales
Expenses
Receipts
This is where most people mess up.
With Kadhr, every order is automatically recorded—complete with receipts, payment method, and order history.
You’ll always know what to file, and when.
⏰ 4. File Returns by June 30th
Yes, even if you made zero. Late filing = penalties.
Kadhr can help you track earnings, so filing doesn’t become a nightmare.
✅ Final Thoughts
Taxes aren’t your enemy.
They’re proof your business is growing and becoming legit. With the right tools, managing tax becomes easy, automatic, and stress-free.
👉 Set up your free Kadhr account and start recording your sales the smart way.
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Written by

Kadhr Africa
Kadhr Africa
We’re building tools to help modern solopreneurs and micro-entrepreneurs sell smarter, stay organized, and grow with structure. From WhatsApp orders to inventory and employee management, Kadhr replaces notebooks, voice notes, and DM chaos with one elegant system. Follow along as we share business hacks, tech insights, and behind-the-scenes stories from our journey to empower Africa’s next generation of solo business owners.