Ushuru.co.ke, is Kenya’s first premium online tax website. The site aims to lighten taxpayers burden, by making the process of filing their tax returns a little easier, which Kenyans have complained for years on end of its tediousness. Ushuru.co.ke is open to expats and Kenyans in the diaspora. Its ultimate goal is to ensure every citizen is tax compliant.
In 2017, KRA recorded a 75% rise in taxpayers filing returns from the previous year. This was made achievable by the relative simplicity of KRA’S iTax platform compared the manual process. Despite this rise, a number of people are still not compliant. Either due to lack of knowledge or a complete disregard for rules and regulations.
Ushuru.co.ke is run by lawyers and accountants, all of whom are highly experienced in the Kenyan scene of both professions. They play a major role in the demystifying tax for the common ‘mwananchi’ and SMEs. The site and its managers also lay claim to a good relationship with KRA and clerks, who are on call to ensure the correct service is being given to citizens.
Tax laws evolve so frequently it is a major challenge for ordinary people to keep tabs.
Case in point, the recently released Income Tax Bill 2018. The Bill could potentially impact both large enterprises and SMEs and individuals should it be passed by parliament. The lack of knowledge or the misunderstanding of it may result in the unintentional falling out of line with the taxman, and subsequently massive penalties.
Tax education and the practice thereof is a difficult and often overcomplicated subject; however, ushuru.co.ke is set to simplify it at a fair price. A lot of care is given to ensure individuals confidential information stays that way.