What will KRA's Revenue Service Assistants do and how do I verify their authenticity?

According to the tax authority, the assistants will be domiciled in the Domestic Taxes Department. They will be located and operate across Tax Service Offices (TSOs) across the country.

They will help Kenyans in activities such as online registration of businesses, verifying taxpayer information and compliance with the electronic tax invoice management system, popularly known as eTIMS.

RSAs will also assist in excise regulations compliance and data collection.

KRA says the RSAs will provide on-site facilitation to taxpayers, which will involve physical visits to taxpayer premises within the country on behalf of the government.

According to the authority, the assistants have been trained by the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA) in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

"The RSAs have been taken through a training program comprising technical tax modules on Value Added Tax, Customs and KRA business systems; and security training," KRA says on its website, adding that KDF supported the process through a discipline module.

HOW DO I IDENTIFY A REAL RSA?

RSAs will have KRA staff identification cards and will be in uniform for ease of identification, the authority says.

Additionally, the public will have the option of authenticating the staff details through a USSD code or online.

This can be done by dialling "572# or using the KRA Thibitisha portal which is available on the KRA website (www.kra.go.ke) or through the KRA M-service mobile app."

On the portal, one will be prompted to enter the staff's national identification number, as well as a phone number for KRA to contact them.