Do I Still Need to File a KRA Return If I Didn’t Earn Much?
If you made just a few thousand bob last year from a side gig, freelance work, or your small business — do you still need to file your KRA return?
The short answer? Yes — and here’s why.
🧾 Why You Must File (Even with Low Income)
KRA requires all Kenyans with a registered PIN to file a tax return every year — even if:
- You didn’t earn much
- You’re just starting out
- You didn’t hit the taxable income threshold
It’s called staying compliant — and it helps avoid unnecessary fines or issues later.
🤷♀️ What If You Don’t File?
Even if you only made KES 10,000 from Jumia deliveries or design gigs:
- KRA still expects a return
- Missing it may attract a KES 2,000 penalty
- Your PIN may show as non-compliant, which can affect tenders, or future transactions
✅ What Should You File?
- If you earned zero income — file a Nil Return
- If you earned below the tax threshold (KES 288,000/year) — file a normal return showing that
- If you earned above the threshold — file and calculate PAYE, even if it was irregular income
💬 Not Sure Where You Fall?
Don’t worry. Most people are confused when starting out — no one teaches this stuff in school.
That’s what Ushuru.com is here for:
Simple tax tips, plain English, and friendly help for:
- Freelancers
- Hustlers
- First-time business owners
💡 What You Can Do Next:
- ✅ Login to iTax
- ✅ File the correct return based on your income
- ✅ Bookmark Ushuru.com for more no-stress tax help
No pressure. Just practical guidance.
Follow Ushuru for tips that actually make tax make sense.