Before you register: what you need
eTIMS onboarding is tied to your KRA taxpayer profile, so the prerequisites are mostly about having your KRA house in order. Gather these before you start and the process rarely stalls.
The single most common reason registration drags is a mismatch between your business details on iTax and what you enter during onboarding. Spend five minutes confirming your iTax details are current and you will save yourself a frustrating loop.
- An active KRA PIN for the business or individual that will issue invoices.
- Working iTax login credentials, since eTIMS onboarding is linked to your iTax profile.
- Your business details exactly as they appear on iTax: name, address and contact.
- A decision on how you will issue invoices: the portal, eTIMS Lite, or an integrated POS.
- For integrated options, your business email and phone for verification.
How to register for eTIMS, step by step
These are the stages every taxpayer goes through. The exact screen labels may shift, but the sequence holds.
- 1
Go to the eTIMS onboarding page
Access KRA’s eTIMS onboarding portal and choose to sign up. You will identify yourself by KRA PIN and verify your identity.
- 2
Verify with a one-time code
KRA sends a verification code to the phone or email on your taxpayer profile. Enter it to confirm you control the account.
- 3
Select your taxpayer type
Indicate whether you are VAT registered or not, and the nature of your business. This determines which invoice options and fields apply to you.
- 4
Choose your eTIMS method
Pick the route that matches your volume: eTIMS Lite for low volume, the online portal, or an integration through a compliant POS or system.
- 5
Provide and confirm business details
Enter your trading name, branch and contact details so they appear correctly on every invoice. Match what is on iTax to avoid rejections.
- 6
Submit and await approval
Complete the application. Low-volume and Lite onboarding can be quick; integrated options may involve a short verification of your chosen software.
- 7
Issue a test invoice
Once active, create a small test invoice and confirm it returns a control number and QR code. That proves you are genuinely compliant, not just registered.
Registration mistakes that cause delays
Details that do not match iTax
If the name or PIN you enter differs from your iTax profile, onboarding fails verification. Copy the details exactly as iTax shows them.
No access to the verification phone or email
The one-time code goes to the contact on your KRA profile. If that number is dead, update it on iTax first or you will be stuck at verification.
Registering but never issuing
Holding an eTIMS account is not compliance. You must actually issue compliant invoices for your sales. Always finish with a test invoice.
Choosing the wrong method for your volume
Signing up for manual portal entry when you run a busy counter sets you up to fall behind. Match the method to how many invoices you really issue.
Ignoring the purchases side
Registration sorts your sales, but you also need compliant invoices from suppliers. Tell your vendors you now require eTIMS invoices.
A worked example: registering a small retailer
James runs a stationery shop and is not yet VAT registered. He confirms his KRA PIN works on iTax and updates his phone number there so he can receive the verification code. He opens the eTIMS onboarding, verifies with the code, and selects non-VAT taxpayer.
Because he does around 120 sales a day, manual portal entry is not realistic, so he chooses an integrated POS route. He enters his trading name exactly as iTax shows it, submits, and once active issues a test sale of KES 250. The system returns a control number and QR code, confirming he is live.
The whole thing takes James under an hour, most of which was spent fixing his outdated iTax phone number. The lesson: sort your iTax details first, and the rest of eTIMS registration is quick.
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 simplifies onboarding
Veira guides you through connecting your KRA profile so the integration is set up correctly the first time, then issues your test invoice so you can see the control number and QR code appear. There is no guesswork about whether you are truly compliant.
Once connected, every future sale is invoiced automatically, online or offline, on the phone you already own plus a free handheld terminal. Registration becomes a one-time setup rather than a recurring chore.
Frequently asked questions
How long does eTIMS registration take?
Do I need to visit a KRA office to register?
Can I register for eTIMS without VAT registration?
What if my iTax phone number is outdated?
Is there a registration fee?
How do I know registration worked?
eTIMS registration is mostly about getting your KRA details in order and choosing the right invoicing method for your volume. Sort iTax first, onboard, then prove it with a test invoice. When you are ready to make every future invoice automatic, book a free demo and let Veira handle the setup and the compliance for you.