The definition, in plain terms
eTIMS is the KRA electronic Tax Invoice Management System. eTIMS-compliant POS software is a point-of-sale system that plugs into it: when you make a sale, the software generates a compliant electronic tax invoice, stamps it with the control unit number and QR code KRA expects, and transmits the data to KRA. The receipt your customer gets is also a valid tax invoice.
The word compliant is doing real work. A POS that simply prints a receipt is not eTIMS-compliant. To be compliant, it must produce the specific fields KRA requires, apply the correct tax types (16%, zero-rated, exempt), and get the invoice to KRA, either in real time or queued and transmitted when the connection returns.
The value of eTIMS-compliant POS software is that compliance happens automatically as a by-product of selling. You do not file invoices separately, reconcile a second system, or risk the penalties of missing the mandate. The checklist below is how to tell whether a given POS actually delivers that.
What makes a POS genuinely eTIMS-compliant: the checklist
A genuinely compliant POS should tick all of these.
- 1
It issues an electronic tax invoice on every sale
Each sale produces a KRA electronic tax invoice, not just a sales receipt. The customer receipt doubles as the compliant invoice.
- 2
It stamps the control unit number and QR code
A compliant invoice carries the control unit (CU) number, CU invoice number and a QR code that KRA and the customer can verify. Without these, it was not properly transmitted.
- 3
It applies the correct tax types
The software applies the right tax type per item: 16% standard, zero-rated or exempt. Wrong tax types distort your VAT return and can trigger audits.
- 4
It transmits to KRA, including after offline sales
Invoices reach KRA in real time, or are queued while offline and transmitted on reconnect. Offline transmission matters in Kenya, where the network is not always up.
- 5
It captures the buyer PIN for B2B sales
For business customers claiming input VAT, the invoice must show the buyer KRA PIN. A compliant POS lets you capture it at the point of sale.
- 6
It keeps records that reconcile to your VAT return
The eTIMS data should reconcile exactly with your VAT return, so filing is quick and defensible. Compliant software keeps those records in order.
Common misconceptions about eTIMS-compliant POS
Thinking any POS with a printer is compliant
Printing a receipt is not eTIMS compliance. The invoice must carry the CU details and QR code and be transmitted to KRA. Confirm those, not just that it prints.
Assuming compliance is an optional add-on
Since January 2026, eTIMS is mandatory for VAT-registered businesses. Treating it as optional risks the No eTIMS, No Expense consequences. Choose a POS where it is core.
Ignoring offline transmission
A POS that only files eTIMS when online will fall behind during outages. Genuine compliance includes queuing offline invoices and transmitting on reconnect.
Overlooking tax types
Treating zero-rated or exempt items as standard (or the reverse) breaks your VAT return. Compliant software handles tax types correctly per item.
Forgetting the buyer PIN
B2B customers need their PIN on the invoice to claim input VAT. A POS that cannot capture it leaves those customers unable to claim.
A business checks a POS against the checklist
A wholesaler in Nairobi is choosing a POS and uses the checklist to test two shortlisted systems, rather than trusting the word compliant on their websites.
The first prints a neat receipt but, on inspection, does not stamp a control unit number or transmit to KRA without a separate module. The second issues a full eTIMS invoice with the CU number and QR code on every sale, handles tax types, queues invoices offline, and captures the buyer PIN for B2B customers.
The checklist made the difference obvious. The wholesaler picks the genuinely compliant system, so every sale meets the mandate automatically and the VAT return reconciles to the eTIMS data.
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 delivers eTIMS-compliant POS
Veira is eTIMS-certified POS software that ticks the full checklist: every sale issues a compliant KRA electronic tax invoice with the control unit number and QR code, applies the correct tax types, captures the buyer PIN for B2B sales, and queues invoices offline to transmit on reconnect. Compliance happens automatically as you sell.
Because the same system handles sales, payments and eTIMS, your records reconcile to your VAT return without a separate tool. That is what eTIMS-compliant POS software should mean in practice, from KES 2,999 a month with a free terminal.
Frequently asked questions
What is eTIMS-compliant POS software?
How do I know if a POS is really eTIMS-compliant?
Is eTIMS-compliant POS software mandatory in Kenya?
Does eTIMS-compliant POS work offline?
What is the difference between a receipt and an eTIMS invoice?
eTIMS-compliant POS software is simply point-of-sale software that issues and transmits KRA electronic tax invoices automatically, and the checklist above is how to tell genuine compliance from a printed receipt. With eTIMS mandatory in 2026, it is a core requirement. Veira delivers the full checklist automatically, from KES 2,999 a month with a free terminal. See how Veira handles eTIMS.