How to Generate an eTIMS Invoice Online in Kenya
Short answer: Open your activated eTIMS channel, create a sales invoice, enter the buyer where applicable, add each item or service with its correct tax treatment, choose the payment method, review the totals and submit. Wait for KRA acceptance before downloading or sharing the final tax invoice. In Risiti, create the invoice from the dashboard and use its KRA status to distinguish a pending or failed record from an accepted receipt.
Step-by-Step
1. Confirm your eTIMS channel is activated
Use the official solution attached to your taxpayer profile or an approved connected product. In Risiti, complete the business and KRA connection workflow before issuing a production invoice.
2. Enter the buyer details
Add the buyer name and KRA PIN when the sale needs to be associated with a business buyer. Copy the PIN from a reliable source; do not use a national ID or guess a missing character.
3. Add each item or service
Choose a clear description, quantity and unit price. Reuse a correctly configured catalogue item when possible so classification and tax treatment do not drift between invoices.
4. Select the correct tax treatment
Apply the tax type that corresponds to the seller and the supply. Standard VAT, reduced-rate, zero-rated, exempt and non-VAT treatments are not interchangeable.
5. Review and submit
Check the seller, buyer, payment method, item count, taxable amount, tax and total. Submit once and keep the same record while acceptance is being determined.
6. Confirm KRA acceptance
A draft, pending, retrying or failed state is not the final receipt. Wait until the solution shows acceptance and has the returned KRA receipt or control-unit data.
7. Download and share the final invoice
Open the accepted invoice, inspect the PDF and QR details, then send the unchanged file or secure receipt link by WhatsApp, email or your device share sheet.
Prerequisites
- ✓An activated eTIMS solution for the seller and access to the correct taxpayer profile.
- ✓The seller's KRA PIN, branch and business details already configured in that solution.
- ✓Buyer name and KRA PIN when the buyer needs a business invoice.
- ✓Goods or services with quantity, price and the correct classification and tax treatment.
- ✓A payment method and a stable process for reviewing the final total.
Buyer Details
For a walk-in or consumer sale, the channel may allow limited buyer information. For a business purchase, capture the buyer name and KRA PIN accurately when applicable so the transaction can be associated with the buyer's records.
If the buyer provides a PIN after you submit, do not type it onto the downloaded PDF. Use the correction or credit-note workflow supported by the solution that issued the invoice.
Item and Service Setup
Describe the actual supply in plain business language. Quantity multiplied by unit price, less any genuine discount, should reconcile to the line total. Avoid generic labels that make the sale difficult to audit.
KRA channels and connected products may require an item classification, unit of measure and tax type. Save frequently used items only after checking those fields; a fast reusable catalogue is valuable only when its defaults are correct.
Tax Selection
| Code | Common description | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| A | Exempt | That every zero-tax sale is exempt |
| B | Standard VAT, currently 16% in the Risiti tax table | That it applies when the seller is not VAT registered |
| C | Zero-rated | That it is the same legal treatment as exempt |
| D | Non-VAT / not applicable | That it can be used by a VAT-registered seller for any supply |
| E | Reduced VAT, currently 8% in the Risiti tax table | That the reduced rate applies without checking the supply |
Practical note: This table explains application labels, not individualized tax advice. Confirm an uncertain supply with KRA or a qualified tax professional before submitting.
Submission and What Success Looks Like
Submission sends the sales data through the chosen KRA channel. A successful workflow returns the receipt or control-unit information needed for a verifiable eTIMS invoice.
In Risiti, the accepted state is labelled submitted. The invoice detail can then render the KRA section in the PDF, including returned receipt information and QR data. Acceptance is a system result, not a visual style applied to a draft.
Pending Versus Accepted
| Status | Can you share it as final? | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | No | Complete and submit the invoice. |
| Pending | No | Wait for a result and avoid creating a second copy. |
| Retrying | No | Let the controlled retry continue or address the displayed issue. |
| Submitted / accepted | Yes, after checking it | Download, verify and share the receipt. |
| Failed | No | Read the error and correct or retry safely. |
Downloading and Sharing
Open the completed invoice in the same channel that issued it. Use its receipt, view or PDF action after acceptance. Inspect the seller, buyer, items, tax, total and QR or control-unit information before sending it.
In Risiti, the share workflow can send the generated PDF through the device share sheet or open a WhatsApp message with the invoice reference, amount, KRA status and secure public receipt link. WhatsApp is only the delivery method; it does not validate a draft.
Correcting a Mistake
Before submission, go back and correct the buyer, item, quantity, price, tax or payment method. After KRA acceptance, preserve the original and use the linked full or partial credit-note process supported by the issuing solution.
Do not delete the local record, change the accepted PDF or create an unexplained duplicate. Keep the original invoice, credit note and replacement invoice together.
Failed Submission Handling
First determine whether the failure is a validation problem or a temporary inability to reach KRA. Validation failures need corrected data. Temporary failures can use a controlled retry, but the business should retain one invoice record while acceptance is uncertain.
Risiti's backend checks due transient submissions every minute. It also treats duplicate invoice-number responses as a reconciliation problem: do not issue a PDF unless the required receipt metadata has been recovered or KRA acceptance is otherwise confirmed.
Troubleshooting Table
| Problem | Likely cause | Safe response |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer PIN rejected | Wrong character, wrong identifier or invalid PIN | Verify the PIN; do not substitute an ID number. |
| Tax total is wrong | Wrong tax type, price interpretation or discount | Return to the item lines and recalculate before submitting. |
| Invoice stays pending | KRA result has not been confirmed | Keep one record, wait and check status. |
| Invoice number already exists | Sequence collision or an earlier accepted transaction | Reconcile the original with KRA before changing the number or sharing a PDF. |
| No PDF download | The invoice is not accepted or lacks returned receipt data | Resolve status first; do not use a normal PDF as a substitute. |
| Wrong buyer after acceptance | Buyer details were entered incorrectly | Use a linked correction or credit note; do not edit the PDF. |
Risiti Method Versus Official KRA Channels
Risiti provides a browser-based operational workflow with saved records, explicit KRA status, controlled retry handling, receipt PDFs and sharing. It uses its configured OSCU submission flow and remains a commercial product independent of KRA.
KRA provides free official options, including eCitizen web, USSD, mobile and the eTIMS Taxpayer Portal for applicable users. Their screens and eligibility differ. Use KRA's current user guide for the exact official channel rather than applying Risiti button names to a KRA screen.
Screenshot Reference
The Risiti product page includes a current screenshot of the browser-based invoice form. KRA interface screenshots should be taken from the current official KRA user guides linked below because those screens can change independently of Risiti.
Official KRA Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I generate an eTIMS invoice in Kenya?
Use an activated KRA channel or connected product, enter the buyer where applicable, add correctly configured items, review tax and total, submit once, and wait for KRA acceptance before sharing the final receipt.
Can I generate an eTIMS invoice on my phone?
Yes. KRA provides applicable web, USSD and mobile routes, and Risiti provides a mobile-first browser workflow. Choose the channel assigned to or suitable for your taxpayer profile.
Can I share a pending eTIMS invoice?
Do not share it as the final tax invoice. Pending and retrying mean acceptance has not been confirmed. Share the completed receipt after the solution shows KRA acceptance.
What if I used the wrong tax type?
Correct it before submission. If KRA already accepted the invoice, use the linked credit-note or correction workflow in the issuing solution rather than editing the PDF.
Last reviewed: 26 July 2026. This guide summarizes current public KRA information and is not tax or legal advice. Confirm unusual cases with KRA or a qualified tax professional.