So... Do You Actually Have a KRA PIN?

Quick question before we go any further: do you actually have a KRA PIN? Not "I think so" or "can I use my parents?", an active one, that you can log into, that's yours.

If you hesitated even a little, this one's for you. Before you send your first invoice as a freelancer, creative, or independent contractor in Kenya, there are exactly two boxes to tick: a KRA PIN, and an active eTims account. Good news: both are free, both happen entirely online, and neither one needs you to stand in a queue anywhere. Let's get into it.

Okay but why does this even matter?

Fair question. Here's the honest answer: your PIN is the thing everything else in your working life quietly depends on. Filing your IT1? Needs it. A client wants to issue you a WHT certificate? Needs it. Opening certain bank accounts, registering for eTims, even some client onboarding forms, all asking for the PIN before a shilling changes hands. So yes, it comes first. It's the foundation everyone builds on top of.

eTims is the next domino. From January 2026, KRA checks your declared income and expenses against your eTims records the moment you file, and this isn't a "big company" rule. It applies to everyone invoicing for goods or services in Kenya, freelancers and consultants included. So if you're not eTims-active, every invoice you send and every expense you try to claim is already starting the conversation on the back foot.

Set both up before your first client says yes, not the week before your filing deadline, wondering why a year's worth of invoices won't behave.

Am I even eligible? (Probably, yes)

• Age: 18+. You need a valid National ID to apply, so this one's non-negotiable.
• The ID itself: KRA issues your PIN once you have your official ID. That's the credential this whole thing runs on.
• Where you actually do it: Online, through the official KRA iTax Portal, once you've got your ID number and personal details on hand.

Sources: KRA Care · KRA FAQ · Kenyan Wall Street · KRA, Tax Compliance 101

Right, let's actually get you a PIN

Here's what you'll want within reach before you start:

• Your valid Kenyan national ID
• An email address you actually check, not the one you made in Form 3 for a school project. Your PIN certificate and iTax login live here, and a surprising number of people lock themselves out later because of this exact mistake.
• A working phone number

Most people get their PIN issued the same day. The process itself:

1. Head to the iTax portal and select "New PIN Registration"
2. Pick "Individual" as your taxpayer type, and "Resident" if you're tax resident in Kenya
3. Fill in your details exactly as they appear on your national ID. This is where most delays quietly sneak in
4. Select your tax obligations (income tax, at minimum)
5. Submit, then download your PIN certificate and actually keep it somewhere. Digital copy, printed copy, both.

Where to go:

• How to Register for a KRA PIN, KRA official guide
• iTax portal, itax.kra.go.ke
• eCitizen, ecitizen.go.ke

One honest aside: stick to these official domains only. There are "services" out there happy to charge you for something that's free and takes fifteen minutes. You never need to pay a stranger to register your own PIN.

Now, what's this eTims thing everyone keeps mentioning?

Once your PIN is live, eTims is next. Think of it as what turns a regular invoice into one KRA actually recognises. The ETM- or KRACU reference is what makes your income (and your expenses) count when your return gets checked.

Here's how you get in:

1. Go to the eTims Taxpayer Portal and hit "Sign Up"
2. Enter your KRA PIN, which doubles as your eTims user ID, and click "Verify"
3. Watch your details populate automatically from iTax (oddly satisfying)
4. Set a password, then click "Send OTP". A code lands on whatever mobile number is registered to your iTax profile
5. Enter the code, confirm the data privacy statement, and you're signed up
6. Log back in and pick the eTims solution that matches how you actually invoice. Most independent creatives are fine with the online portal; smaller, non-VAT taxpayers might prefer the lighter eTims Lite via eCitizen

Where to go:

• eTims Taxpayer Portal, etims.kra.go.ke
• KRA's official eTims registration user guide (PDF)
• KRA's eTims online portal user guide (PDF)

A few things worth knowing before you dive in

• Your PIN and your eTims login are related, but not the same thing. You'll create a fresh password specifically for eTims.
• That OTP goes to whichever number is on file with iTax right now, not necessarily the one in your hand. Changed numbers recently? Update iTax first, or you'll be waiting for a code that's going to someone else's phone.
• eTims registration is free. If anyone (online, on a call, in person) asks you to pay to "activate" it for you, that's not KRA talking.
• This is a once-and-done setup, not an annual chore. Once you're in, the actual ongoing work is just issuing eTims-compliant invoices and logging eTims-compliant expenses as you go, which, if you're doing it right, your records are already handling for you.

And that's it. PIN sorted, eTims active. Now you're actually ready to start building the kind of record that makes June feel like a formality instead of a scramble.