KRA Wants Huduma Namba to Serve as KRA PIN

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) wants parliament to amend the Huduma Namba Bill, and have Huduma Namba serve as KRA PINs in a bid to nab tax evaders.

The taxman wants to be able to access data that is beyond acquisition of legal information such as IDs or passports, in order to capture individuals who are above 18 years and are not paying taxes.

Anyone with a Huduma Namba Card will automatically be listed as taxpayers once they attain the age of 18 years old.

“Huduma Namba assigned to an individual under the Huduma Act, 2021, shall serve as PIN for the purpose of tax law,” read the Bill.

The changes will allow the taxman to access foundational data which includes personal data of a resident individual as confirmation of the individual’s identity, which includes biometric and biographical data.

According to KRA data, the number of taxpayers who filed returns in the year to June were 5.5 million, despite there being 25.64 million Kenyans above 18 years.

If the bill sails through, it would mean that children will be listed as taxpayers automatically once they turn 18 years, and will be required to file annual returns regardless of their income status.

The house is expected to debate all aspects of the Bill, including its principles, objectives and how its enactment into law will affect the citizens.

According to the National Assembly Bill tracker, the Huduma Bill, 2021 is currently on its second reading stage.

Should the taxman succeed in introducing the amendments, they will be discussed by a committee of parliament in the Bill’s third reading.