Kenya Revenue Authority’s electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) requires businesses to issue tax invoices that are transmitted to KRA. Many businesses start by keying invoices manually into the eTIMS portal or app — which works for low volumes but quickly becomes a burden, and introduces errors.
The alternative is to integrate eTIMS directly with the system you already invoice from — your ERP (such as Odoo), POS, billing or property system — so every invoice is validated by KRA automatically.
Integration options
KRA provides system-to-system integration routes, commonly referred to as:
- OSCU (Online Sales Control Unit) — suited to businesses whose systems are online when invoicing.
- VSCU (Virtual Sales Control Unit) — suited to high-volume or complex environments, with more processing handled locally.
Integrations are typically done directly or through a KRA-approved third-party integrator. Always confirm the current requirements and approved channels on the KRA website, as procedures are updated.
What a good integration covers
- Invoices and credit notes sent to KRA automatically, with the returned control details printed on documents
- Item classification and tax codes mapped correctly
- Handling of failures and retries when connectivity drops
- A clear audit trail between your system and eTIMS
- Testing in KRA’s sandbox before going live
Planning the project
- List every system that issues invoices (head office, branches, online shop).
- Clean up item master data and tax categories.
- Choose the integration route with your provider.
- Test thoroughly, then roll out branch by branch.
Beyond Kenya
Neighbouring countries run similar systems — Uganda’s EFRIS, Rwanda’s EBM and Tanzania’s VFD/EFD — so regional businesses benefit from an integration approach that can be repeated in each market.
Turtle Technologies integrates ERPs, POS and billing systems with tax, payment and banking platforms. See API Integrations or book a free 15-minute health check.