Why verifying an eTIMS invoice matters
An eTIMS invoice is an electronic tax invoice that was transmitted to KRA at the point of sale. A genuine one carries proof of that transmission: a control unit (CU) serial number, a CU invoice number, and a QR code that encodes the invoice details. Verifying an invoice means confirming those details match what KRA received.
This is not academic. If you are VAT-registered, you can only claim input VAT on purchases backed by a valid supplier eTIMS invoice showing your KRA PIN. If a supplier gives you an invoice that was never transmitted, or was altered after the fact, your input VAT claim can be disallowed in an audit. Verifying before you claim protects you.
It also protects you from fraud. A printed receipt that looks official but has no valid CU details, or whose QR code does not resolve, is a red flag. Checking takes seconds and is the difference between a defensible claim and a disallowed one.
How to verify a KRA eTIMS invoice, step by step
Use either the QR code or the CU details. Both confirm the same thing.
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Step 1: Find the CU details on the invoice
A compliant eTIMS invoice shows a control unit (CU) serial number, a CU invoice number, and usually a QR code. If these are missing entirely, the invoice was likely not transmitted to KRA.
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Step 2: Scan the QR code
Use a phone camera or QR scanner on the QR code printed on the invoice. It should resolve to a KRA verification page showing the invoice details (seller PIN, buyer PIN, date and amount).
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Step 3: Or use the KRA invoice checker
If there is no QR code to scan, go to the KRA invoice checker on the KRA website and enter the control unit number and CU invoice number from the invoice.
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Step 4: Match the details
Confirm that the seller PIN, buyer PIN (your PIN, if it is a purchase for input VAT), date, tax amount and total on the verification match the printed invoice exactly.
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Step 5: Confirm your PIN is on it
For an input VAT claim, the invoice must show your KRA PIN as the buyer. An invoice without your PIN cannot support your claim, even if it is otherwise genuine.
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Step 6: Keep the proof
Keep the verified invoice. If details do not match or the invoice fails to validate, ask the supplier to reissue a correct eTIMS invoice before you record the purchase.
Common invoice verification mistakes
Assuming a printed receipt is compliant
A receipt that looks official is not proof it reached KRA. Only the CU details and a resolving QR code confirm transmission. Verify before you rely on it.
Claiming input VAT without your PIN on the invoice
Input VAT can only be claimed on an invoice showing your KRA PIN as the buyer. Many claims are disallowed simply because the buyer PIN was never captured at purchase.
Ignoring mismatched amounts
If the amount on the verification does not match the printed invoice, the invoice was altered after transmission. That invoice will not support a claim.
Not verifying high-value B2B purchases
For small cash buys the risk is low, but for large B2B purchases where you claim input VAT, verifying the supplier invoice protects a real amount of money.
Confusing invoice verification with your own invoice tool
Verifying a supplier invoice on the KRA checker is different from generating or checking your own invoices. This guide is about confirming an invoice you received is genuine.
A distributor verifies a supplier invoice before claiming VAT
A distributor in Kisumu receives a large invoice from a new supplier and is about to claim the input VAT. Before recording it, the accounts clerk scans the QR code on the invoice.
The QR code resolves to a KRA page showing the supplier PIN, the distributor PIN as buyer, the date and a tax amount. The clerk checks these against the printed invoice: the buyer PIN matches, but the tax amount on the KRA record is lower than the printed figure.
That mismatch means the printed invoice was altered after transmission. The clerk holds the claim and asks the supplier to reissue a correct eTIMS invoice. Because the invoice was verified before the claim, the distributor avoids a disallowed input VAT claim and a potential penalty.
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 keeps your invoices verifiable
Every sale on Veira issues a compliant eTIMS invoice that is transmitted to KRA with a valid control unit number, CU invoice number and QR code, so your customers can verify it and your own records are audit-ready. When you capture a customer PIN, it is on the invoice, so their input VAT claim is valid.
On the buying side, keeping your purchase records in one system makes it easy to confirm you only claim input VAT on genuine, verified supplier invoices, from KES 2,999 a month.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a KRA eTIMS invoice?
What is a CU invoice number?
What is the KRA invoice checker?
Why does my PIN need to be on a supplier invoice?
How do I know an eTIMS invoice is fake?
Is verifying an invoice different from generating one?
Verifying a KRA eTIMS invoice takes seconds and protects real money: a disallowed input VAT claim, or a fake receipt, is far more costly than a quick QR scan. Make verification a habit on B2B purchases. Veira issues fully verifiable eTIMS invoices on every sale, so your customers and KRA can always confirm them, from KES 2,999 a month. See how Veira handles eTIMS.