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CHAPTER 470THE INCOME TAX ACTARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONSPART 1- PRELIMINARYSectionPage1Short title and commencement . . .112Interpretation . .11PART II- IMPOSITION OF INCOME TAX3Charge of tax . .234Income from businesses . . . .244AIncome from business where foreign exchange gain or loss is realized 254BExport processing zone enterprise . .275Income from employment etc .276Income from the use of property . . 347Income from dividends . .347ADividend tax account . .358Income from pensions . 369Income of certain non-resident persons deemed derived from Kenya . .4110Income from management or professional fees, royalties, interest andrents .4111Trust income, etc. deemed income of trustee, beneficiary, etc .4212Imposition of instalment tax . . . 4312AImposition of advance tax . 441
Income Tax Act Cap. 47012BImposition of fringe benefit tax . . . 44PART III- EXEMPTION FROM TAX13Certain income exempt from tax, etc . . 4514Interest on Government loans, etc, exempt from tax . . .46PART IV- ASCERTAINMENT OF TOTAL INCOME15Deductions allowed . 4616Deductions not allowed . .5317Ascertainment of income of farmers in relation to stock . .5617APresumptive income tax . .5718Ascertainment of gain or profits of business in relation to certainnon- resident persons . .6019Ascertainment of income of insurance companies . .6119ACo-operative societies . 6620Unit trusts . .6821Members' clubs and trade associations . 6822Purchased annuities, other than retirement annuities etc .6922ADeduction in respect of contributions to registered pension or providentfunds . . .7122BDeductions in respect of registered individual retirement funds . . .7422CRegistered home ownership savings plan . .7423Transactions designed to avoid liability to tax . . 7624Avoidance of tax liability by non-distribution of dividends . .7625Income settled on children . . .772
Income Tax Act Cap. 47026Income from certain settlements deemed to be income of settlor .8027Accounting periods not coinciding with year of income, etc . . . .8128Income and expenditure after cessation of business . 82PART V- PERSONAL RELIEFS29General . . .8330Personal relief . .8431Single Relief (Repealed) . .8432Special Single Relief (Repealed) . .8433Insurance Relief (Repealed) . 84PART VI- RATES, DEDUCTIONS AND SET-OFF OF TAX AND DOUBLETAXATION RELIEFARates of Tax34Rates of tax . . 8434ADeduction in respect of certain rates of tax (Repealed) . . .86BDeduction of Tax35Deduction of tax from certain income . .8636Deduction of tax from annuities, etc paid under a will, etc . .9037Deduction of tax from emoluments . .9137APenalty for failure to make deductions under Section 35, 36 or 37 .9338Application to Government . .93CSet-off of Tax39Set-off of tax . .9339ASet-off of import duty . .943
Income Tax Act Cap. 470DDouble Taxation Relief40Relief in respect of inter-state tax (Repealed) . . .9541Special arrangements for relief from double taxation . .9542Computation of credits under special arrangements . . .9643Time limit . . .97PART VII- PERSONS ASSESSABLE44Income of a person assessed on him . . . .9745Wife's income, etc . . .9746Income of incapacitated person .9847Income of non-resident person . .9848Income of deceased person, etc .9849Liability of joint trustees 9950Liability of person in whose name income of another person isassessed .9951Indemnification of representative . . 99PART VIII- RETURNS AND NOTICES52Returns of income and notice of chargeability .9952AInstalment returns (Repealed) . .10152BFinal return with self-assessment .10153Provisional returns . .10254Documents to be included in return of income . . .10354AKeeping of records of receipts, expenses, etc . .10555Books and accounts . 1054
Income Tax Act Cap. 47056Production and preservation of books, attendances, etc . .10657Return of salaries, pensions, etc . .10758Returns as to fees, commissions royalties, etc . .10759Occupier's return of rent . . 10860Return of lodgers and inmates . 10861Return of income received on account of other persons . .10862Return as to income exempt from tax . . 10963Return in relation to settlements . . . 10964Return in relation to registered pension fund, etc . 10965Return of annuity contract benefits . . .10966Return of resident company dividends . 11067Return as to interest paid or credited by banks, etc . . .11068Return as to dividends paid by building societies . 11069Access to official information . . . .11170Further returns and extension of time . . .11271Return deemed to be furnished by due authority . .11272Additional tax in event of failure to furnish return or fraud in relation toa return . . . 11272AOffences in respect of failure to furnish return or fraud in relation toreturn . .11572BPenalty for the negligence of authorized tax agent . .11572CPenalty on underpayment of instalment tax . 11572DPenalty on unpaid tax . . . 1155
Income Tax Act Cap. 470PART IX- ASSESSMENTS73Assessments . .11674Provisional assessments . .11674AInstalment assessments . .11774BMinimum additional tax or penalty . .11775Assessment of person about to leave or having left Kenya . .11776Assessment not to be made on certain employees . .11776AAssessment not to be made on certain income . .11877Additional assessments . 11878Service of notice of assessment, etc . .11879Time limit for making assessments, etc . .11880Assessments list . .11981Errors, etc, in assessments or notices . .119PART X- OBJECTIONS, APPEALS AND RELIEF FOR MISTAKES82Local Committees . . .12083The Tribunal . .12184Notice of objection to assessment . 12285Powers of Commissioner on receipt of objection . 12286Right of appeal from Commissioner's determination of objection 12387Procedure on appeals . . 12488Finality of assessment . . .12589Application of appeal procedure to other decisions, etc, of Commissioner .12690Relief in respect of error or mistake . . . . 1276
Income Tax Act Cap. 47091Rules for appeals to the Court . 12791AAppeals to Court of Appeal . 127PART XI- COLLECTION, RECOVERY AND REPAYMENT OF TAX92Time within which payment is to be made .12892ADue date for payment of tax under self-assessment . .12993Payment of tax where notice of objection, etc . .13094Interest on unpaid tax . . .13095Interest on underestimated tax . .13195APenalty in respect of instalment tax (Repealed) 13296Appointment and duties of agent . .13297Deceased persons . 13498Collection of tax from persons leaving or having left Kenya . .13499Exchange control income tax certificates (Repealed). .136100Collection of tax from guarantor . .136101Collection of tax by suit 136102Collection of tax by distraint 137103Security on property for unpaid tax . .137104Collection of tax from shipowner, etc . . . 138105Refund of tax overpaid . .138106Repayment of tax in respect of income accumulated under trusts 139PART XII- OFFENCES AND PENALTIES107General penalty . 139108Additional penalties . 1397
Income Tax Act Cap. 470109Failure to comply with notice, etc . .139110Incorrect returns, etc . . .141111Fraudulent returns, etc . 141112Obstruction of officer . . . 142113Evidence in cases of fraud, etc . . .142114Power of Commissioner to compound offences . .143115Place of trial . . .144116Offences by corporate bodies . . . 144117Officer may appear on prosecution . . 144118Tax charged to be payable notwithstanding prosecution .144119Power to search and seize . .144120Power to inspect books and documents . . .145121Admissibility of evidence . .145PART XIII- ADMINISTRATION122Appointment of Commissioner and other officers . .146123Commissioner's discretion to abandon or remit tax . . .146124Exercise of powers etc . . .146125Official secrecy . . .146126Offences by or in relation to officers, etc . . .148PART XIV- MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS127Form of notices, returns, etc . . .149128Service of notices, etc . . . .149129Liability of manager, etc, of corporate body 1508
Income Tax Act Cap. 470130Rules . .150131Exemption from stamp duty . . . .150132Personal identification numbers . .151133Repeals and transitional . .151SCHEDULESFIRST SCHEDULEExemptions . .152SECOND SCHEDULEDeductions in respect of capitalexpenditure . .160THIRD SCHEDULERates of personal reliefs and tax . 185FOURTH SCHEDULEFinancial institutions . .190FIFTH SCHEDULEScheduled professions and scheduledQualifications . 191SIXTH SCHEDULETransitional provisions . .192SEVENTH SCHEDULESpecial provisions as to Communityemployees (Repealed) . .195EIGHTH SCHEDULEAccrual and computation of gains from transferof property . .195NINTH SCHEDULETaxation of petroleum companies . 206TENTH SCHEDULEAgricultural produce and its authorizedagents . .215ELEVENTH SCHEDULETaxation of export processing zoneenterprises . . 217TWELFTH SCHEDULEProvisions relating to instalment tax 2199
Income Tax Act Cap. 470THIRTEENTH SCHEDULETransactions for which personal identificationnumber (PIN) will be required . .221SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATIONDECLARATION OF CROPS . 222DECLARATION OF MINERALS . . . . 223INCOME TAX EXEMPTIONS . . .223NOTICE UNDER SECTION 35(7) . . .226NOTICE UNDER SECTION 41 . . .226THE INCOME TAX (LOCAL COMMITTEE) RULES . . 227THE INCOME TAX (TRIBUNAL) RULES . . . .230THE INCOME TAX (APPEALS TO THE HIGH COURT) RULES .234THE INCOME TAX (PAYE) RULES . . . 238THE INCOME TAX (DISTRAINT) RULES . . .245THE INCOME TAX (PRESCRIBED DWELLING-HOUSE) RULES . . .250THE INCOME TAX (REGISTERED UNIT TRUSTS) RULES 1990 . .250THE INCOME TAX (RETIREMENT BENEFIT) RULES 1994 . . . 251THE INCOME TAX (HOME OWNERSHIP SAVINGS PLAN) RULES 1995 . .261THE INCOME TAX (INVESTMENT DUTY SET OFF) RULES 1996 . 264THE INCOME TAX (VENTURE CAPITAL COMPANY) RULES 1997 . . 266THE INCOME TAX (WITHHOLDING TAX) RULES 2001 . .268THE INCOME TAX (LEASING) RULES, 2002 . .273THE INCOME TAX NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY FUND (EXEMPTION)RULES, 2002 . . .27510
Income Tax Act Cap. 470CHAPTER 470THE INCOME TAX ACTCommencement: 1st January, 197416 of 1973,2 of 1975,13 of 1975,7 of 1976,11 of 1976,L.N.123/1976,L.N.189/1977,12 of 1977,16 of 1977,8 of 1978,13 of 1978,13 of 1979,18 of 1979,10 of 1980,12 of 1980,6 of 1981,1 of 1982,14 of 1982,8 of 1983,13, of 1984,18, of 1984,8 of 1985,10 of 1986,10 of 1987,3 of 1988,10 of 1988,9 of 1989,20 of 1989.An Act of Parliament to make provision for the charge, assessment andcollection of income tax: for the ascertainment of the income to becharged; for the administrative and general provisions relating thereto;and for matters incidental to and connected with the foregoingPART 1 – PRELIMINARYShort title andcommencementInterpretation7 of 1976 s.2,12 of 1977 s.5,8 of 1978 s.9,12 of 1980 s.314 of 1982 s.1610 of 1987 s.31,10 of 1988 s.28.13 of 1995 S.731This Act may be cited as the Income Tax Act and shall subjectto the Sixth Schedule, come into operation on 1st January, 1974, and apply toassessments for the year of income 1974 and subsequent years of income.2(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires -"accounting period" in relation to a person, means the period forwhich that person makes up the accounts of his business:"actuary" means –(a)a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in England: or of theFaculty of Actuaries in Scotland: or of the Society ofActuaries in the United States of America: or of the CanadianInstitute of Actuaries; or11
Income Tax Act Cap. 470(b)9 of 2000 s.40Such other person having actuarial knowledge as theCommissioner of Insurance may approve;“agency fees” means payments made to a person for acting on behalfof any other person or group of persons, or on behalf of the Government andexcludes any payments made by an agent on behalf of a principal when suchpayments are recoverable;"annuity contract" means a contract providing for the payment of anindividual of a life annuity, and "registered annuity contract" means onewhich has been registered with the Commissioner in such manner as may beprescribed;8 of 1991 s.52"assessment" means an assessment, instalment assessment, selfassessment, provisional assessment or additional assessment made under thisAct;"authorized tax agent" means any person who prepares or advises forremuneration, or who employs one or more persons to prepare forremuneration, any return, statement or other document with respect to a taxunder this Act; and for the purposes of this Act, the preparation of asubstantial portion of a return, statement or other document shall be deemedto be the preparation of the return, statement or other document;Cap.488"bank" means a bank or financial institution licensed under theBanking Act;8 of 1996 s.27"bearer" means the person in possession of a bearer instrument;"bearer instrument" includes a certificate of deposit, bond, note or anysimilar instrument payable to the bearer;Cap.489"building society" means a building society registered under theBuilding Societies Act"business" includes any trade, profession or vocation, and everymanufacture, adventure and concern in the nature of trade, but does notinclude employment;"commercial vehicle" means a road vehicle which the Commissioneris satisfied is(a)manufactured for the carriage of goods and so used in connection witha trade or business; or12
Income Tax Act Cap. 470Cap.403(b)a motor omnibus within the meaning of that term in the Traffic Act;or(c)used for the carriage of members of the public for hire or reward;"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Income Tax appointedunder section 122;"company" means a company incorporated or registered under anyLaw in force in Kenya or elsewhere;"compensating tax" means the addition to tax imposed under section9 of 1992 s.357A;9 of 2000 s.40“consultancy fees” means payments made to any person for acting inan advisory capacity or providing services on a consultancy basis;"contract of service” means an agreement, whether oral or in writing,whether expressed or implied, to employ or to serve as an employee for anyperiod of time, and includes a contract of apprenticeship or indenturedlearnership under which the employer has the power of selection anddismissal of the employee, pays his wages or salary and exercises general orspecific control over the work done by him; and for the purpose of thisdefinition an officer in the public service shall be deemed to be employedunder a contract of service:"corporation rate" means the corporation rate of tax specified inparagraph 2 of Head B of the Third Schedule;"Court" means the High Court;"current year of income", in relation to income charged to instalmenttax, means the year of income for which the instalment tax is payable;"debenture" includes debenture stock, a mortgage, mortgage stock, orany similar instrument acknowledging indebtedness, secured on the assets ofthe person issuing the debenture; and, for the purposes of paragraphs (d) and(e) of section 7(1), includes a loan or loan stock, whether secured orunsecured;8 of 1991 s.52"defined benefit provision", in respect of a registered fund, means theterms of the fund under which benefits in respect of each member of the fundare determined in any way other than that described in the definition of a"defined contribution provision",13
Income Tax Act Cap. 4708 of 1991 s.52"defined benefit registered fund" means a registered fund that containsa defined benefit provision, whether or not it also contains a definedcontribution provision;8 of 1991 s.52"defined contribution provision", in respect of a registered fund,means terms of the fund –8 of 1991 s.52(a)which provide for separate account to be maintained in respectof each member, to which are credited contributions made tothe fund by, or in respect of, the member and any otheramounts allocated to the member, and to which are chargedpayments in respect of the member; and(b)under which the only benefits in respect of a member arebenefits determined solely with reference to, and provided by,the amount of the member's account;"defined contribution registered fund" means a registered fund underwhich the benefits of a member are determined by a defined contributionprovision, and does not contain a defined benefit provision;"director" means -6 of 1994 s.33(a)in relation to a body corporate the affairs of which aremanaged by a board of directors or similar body, a member ofthat board or similar body;(b)in relation to a body corporate the affairs of which aremanaged by a single director or similar person, that director orperson;(c)in relation to a body corporate the affairs of which aremanaged by members themselves, a member of the bodycorporate, and includes any person in accordance with whosedirections and instructions those persons are accustomed toact;"discount" means interest measured by the difference between theamount received on the sale, final satisfaction or redemption of any debt,bond, loan, claim, obligation or evidence of indebtedness, and the price paidon purchase or original issuance of the bond or evidence of indebtedness orthe sum originally loaned upon the creation of the loan, claim or otherobligation;14
Income Tax Act Cap. 470"dividend" means any distribution (whether in cash or property, andwhether made before or during a winding up) by a company to itsshareholders with respect to their equity interest in the company, other thandistributions made in complete liquidation of the company of capital whichwas originally paid directly into the company in connection with the issuanceof equity interests;"due date" means the date on or before which tax is due and payableunder this Act or pursuant to a notice issued under this Act;"employer" includes any resident person responsible for the paymentof, or on account of, emoluments to an employee, and an agent, manager orother representative so responsible in Kenya on behalf of a non-residentemployer;10 of 1990 s.38Cap.517"export processing zone enterprise" has the meaning assigned to it bythe Export Processing Zones Act, 1990;"farmer" means a person who carries on pastoral, agricultural or othersimilar operations;"foreign tax", in relation to income charged to tax in Kenya, meansincome tax or tax of a similar nature charged under any law in force in anyplace with the government of which a special arrangement has been made bythe Government of Kenya and which is the subject of that arrangement;"incapacitated person" means a minor, or a person adjudged underany law, whether in Kenya or elsewhere, to be in a state of unsoundness ofmind (however described);"individual" means a natural person;"individual rates" means the individual rates of income tax specifiedin paragraph 1 of Head B of the Third Schedule;8 of 1991 s.52"individual retirement fund" means a fund held in trust by a qualifiedinstitution for a resident individual for the purpose of receiving and investingfunds in qualifying assets in order to provide pension benefits for such anindividual or the surviving dependants of such an individual subject to theIncome Tax (Retirement Benefit) Rules and "registered individual retirementfund" means an individual retirement fund where the trust deed for such afund has been registered with the Commissioner;15
Income Tax Act Cap. 470"interest" (other than interest charged on tax) means interest payablein any manner in respect of a loan, deposit, debt, claim or other right orobligation, and includes a premium or discount by way of interest andcommitment or service fee paid in respect of any loan or credit;Cap.312"Kenya" includes the continental shelf and any installation thereon asdefined in the Continental Shelf Act;82;"local committee" means a local committee established under section"loss", in relation to gains or profits, means a loss computed in thesame manner as gains or profits;E.A.Cap.24Act;"Management Act" means the East African Income Tax Management"management or professional fee" means a payment made to a person,other than a payment made to an employee by his employer, as considerationfor managerial, technical, agency or consultancy services however calculated;Cap 2588 of 1996 s.27"National Social Security Fund" means the National Social SecurityFund established under Section 3 of the National Social Security Fund Act;"non-resident rate" means an non-resident tax rate specified inparagraph 3 of Head B of the Third Schedule;"notice of objection" means a valid notice of objection to anassessment given under section 84(1);8 of 1991 s.52"number of full-year members", in respect of a registered fund,means the sum of the periods of service in the year under the fund of allmembers of the fund, where the periods are expressed as fractions of a year;"officer" means the Commissioner and any other person in the serviceof the Government who is appointed to an office in the Income TaxDepartment under section 122;6 of 1994 s.33"original issue discount" means the difference between the amountreceived on the final satisfaction or redemption of any debt, bond, loan, claim,obligation or other evidence of indebtedness, and the price paid on originalissuance of the bond or evidence of indebtedness, and the price paid onoriginal issuance of the bond or evidence of indebtedness or the sumoriginally loaned upon creation of the obligation, loan, claim or otherobligation;16
Income Tax Act Cap. 470"paid" includes distributed, credited, dealt with or deemed to havebeen paid in the interest or on behalf of a person;"pension fund" means a fund for payment of pensions or other similarbenefits to employees on retirement, or to the dependants of employees on thedeath of those employees and "registered pension fund" means one which hasbeen registered with the Commissioner in such manner as may be prescribed;"pensionable income" means8 of 1991 s.52(a)in relation to a member of a registered pension or providentfund or of an individual eligible to contribute to a registeredindividual retirement fund, the employment income specifiedin section 3(2)(a)(ii) subjected to deduction of tax undersection 37;9 of 1992 s.35(b)in the case of an individual eligible to contribute to aregistered individual retirement fund, the gains or profits frombusiness subject to tax under section 3(2)(a)(i) earned as thesole proprietor or as a partner of the business;Provided that where a loss from business is realized, the loss shall bedeemed to be zero;"permanent establishment" in relation to a person means a fixed placeof business in which that person carries on business and for the purposes ofthis definition, a building site, or a construction or assembly project, whichhas existed for six months or more shall be deemed to be a fixed place ofbusiness;"permanent or semi-permanent crops" means those crops which theMinister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare to be permanent or semipermanent crops for the purposes of this Act;"personal relief" means –(a)the personal relief provided for under part V; and(b)the relief mentioned in section 30."preceding year assessment", in relation to instalment tax, means thetax assessed for the preceding year of income as of the date the instalment taxis due without regard to subsequent additions to, amendments of, orsubtractions from the assessment; and in the event that as of the date theinstalment tax is due no assessment for the preceding year of tax has, as yet,been made, means the amount of tax estimated by the person as assessable for17
Income Tax Act Cap. 470the preceding year of income;"premises" means land, any improvement thereon, and any buildingor, where part of a building is occupied as a separate dwelling-house, thatpart;"provident fund" includes a fund or scheme for the payment of lumpsums and other similar benefits, to employees when they leave employmentor to the dependants of employees on the de
(b) Such other person having actuarial knowledge as the Commissioner of Insurance may approve; "agency fees" means payments made to a person for acting on behalf of any other person or group of persons, or on behalf of the Government and excludes any payments made by an agent on behalf of a principal when such payments are recoverable;
