The calendar that actually matters
There is a useful distinction to draw. eTIMS itself is not a date on a calendar: it is something you do on every sale, all the time, by issuing a compliant invoice. What you plan around on a calendar is the filing deadlines that your eTIMS data feeds, like the recurring monthly VAT return and the annual income tax dates.
The practical value of a compliance calendar is that it stops deadlines surprising you. If you know the recurring dates and keep your eTIMS records reconciled as you trade, each deadline is a quick summary rather than a scramble. Because exact dates and any changes are set by KRA and can move, confirm the current deadlines for your obligations directly with KRA rather than relying on a fixed list here.
Get this right and it runs quietly in the background of your business. Get it wrong and you risk rejected invoices, disallowed expenses for your customers, and exposure during a KRA review under the Tax Procedures Act. Confirm the current rules and any penalty amounts with KRA, as they change.
Compliance is not extra admin if the system does it for you on every transaction.
How to build your compliance calendar
A practical path for a Kenyan business. Work through it in order.
- 1
List your filing obligations
Identify which returns apply to you, such as monthly VAT if registered, and your annual income tax obligations.
- 2
Confirm the current dates with KRA
Get the exact current deadlines from KRA, since dates and rules can change, and put them in your calendar with reminders.
- 3
Keep eTIMS records reconciled as you trade
So that when each date arrives, the figures are already organised and filing is a summary.
- 4
Set reminders ahead of each deadline
Give yourself a few days before each date to review and file calmly, not at the last minute.
- 5
Keep reconciled records
Reconcile what you issue and receive as you go, so any reporting and filing summarise records you already hold rather than a month-end reconstruction. KRA can review records going back several years.
- 6
Confirm the current rules with KRA
Rates, thresholds, exemptions and deadlines change. Before relying on a specific figure, confirm the current position at kra.go.ke or with your tax adviser.
Common mistakes to avoid
Treating eTIMS as a deadline
eTIMS is a daily habit on every sale, not a date. The calendar is for filing deadlines your eTIMS data feeds.
Relying on a fixed list of dates
Deadlines can change. Confirm the current dates with KRA rather than trusting an old calendar.
Leaving no buffer before a deadline
Filing at the last minute leaves no room to fix a problem. Set reminders a few days ahead.
Waiting for a deadline before getting compliant
Every uncompliant transaction is a gap you have to explain later. Getting compliant now is cheaper than catching up under pressure.
Relying on a system that cannot work offline
Connectivity is not guaranteed everywhere in Kenya. Use a system that records offline and transmits to KRA when the connection returns, so you never fall out of compliance during an outage.
A business stops missing deadlines
A business in Nairobi had twice filed late because a deadline slipped past unnoticed, attracting avoidable penalties.
The owner built a simple compliance calendar: confirmed the current dates with KRA, set reminders a few days ahead, and kept eTIMS records reconciled as the business traded.
Each deadline now arrives expected, with the figures already organised, so filing is calm and on time, and the late-filing penalties stopped.
Trading without eTIMS-compliant tax invoices risks KRA penalties, blocked VAT input claims for your customers, and receipts a business buyer cannot expense.
Veira signs every sale to KRA eTIMS automatically, so each receipt is compliant the moment it prints, with no separate device to reconcile.
How Veira handles this for you
Veira is built for Kenyan businesses. It issues compliant KRA eTIMS invoices automatically on every sale, applies the right tax treatment per item, captures the buyer KRA PIN for business customers, keeps your records reconciled and ready for filing, and reconciles M-Pesa and Pochi payments to each sale.
It runs on a free handheld terminal or the phone you already own, keeps working offline, and runs from KES 2,999 a month with a free terminal and a 30-day money-back guarantee. See how Veira works, or book a free demo.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an eTIMS deadline I need to diarise?
When is the VAT return due in Kenya?
Why keep a compliance calendar?
How do I make sure I never miss a deadline?
Does Veira help me stay ahead of deadlines?
Does Veira handle this automatically?
How much does eTIMS-compliant software cost?
eTIMS compliance calendar comes down to recording the right thing, the right way, through a compliant system, and Veira does exactly that without extra work. See how Veira works, or book a free demo. Always confirm current KRA rules and rates at kra.go.ke, as they can change.