When people are  introduced to the computers and then internet , from the first day you get used the fact that doing things online is always fun..easy, convenient, fast, and reliable.  That may be true until you meet KRA online Services. It goes like this, you wake up and realized that you need a PIN or want to fill your tax return but can’t trace your PIN. If you don’t know where to start then the natural place would be to head to KRA offices at the Times Towers. There you find one mean looking middle aged lady behind the computer playing solitaire card games who has only a few  words for you. “Go and fill it in the cyber.” Cyber? Ok , she meant go and do it online. By the way, many people in Nairobi are starting to forget how cybers look like but that is a story for another day.

At that point you beat yourself for wasting time going that far , while these people saw the light a long time a go. Back to the cyber or whatever place you can access the net .  KRA’s Virtual Office..nice huh! But that is how as far as it goes , the real headache starts from there onwards. Registration is impossible, getting through to KRA database is like flying to the Mars. It takes ages and you still wish that one day you will get there.

I was once lucky to get through

Dear Customer,
Thank you using KRA Online Services.
Your PIN, Password, and Security Stamp to access the Online Services are as follows;

PIN:            A0XXXXXXXXJ
Password:       Xxxxxxx_2030
Security Stamp (look for the attachment in this E-Mail)
For the first time you Login with a password given by KRA, you will be required to:
1.      Provide security stamp: however you will not be required to give the Security Stamp for subsequent Logins.
2.      Change your password: Please ensure that your new password is known only to you. Password should be of 8 characters were 6 of them must be letters and 2 must be numbers. Subsequently you may change your password on a need basis.

For further guidance please contact our Call Centre on 4999999, or visit the nearest KRA Domestic Taxes Office or visit www.KRA.go.ke.

Kind Regards

KRA Online Team.

This is not the end of it ..my luck only ended with the registration..then came the point of using the given details to login.

I tried and tried but still can’t go through. The message is the same “The provided security credentials are not valid. Make sure your keyboard is not with CAPS LOCK and try again”

Really, how are they  wrong details while i just copy pasted the exact details sent to me by KRA Online Team? Time to go back and confront the mean looking lady again.  This time with more sterner face ” You just have to do it in the cybers” Jeez, i am giving up in being a tax payer in this country.

So i have seen so many tweeps trying to fill their tax returns online,  well, that is a tall order if login screen shown below is always staring at you, no matter how accurately you try to enter your security details

For me, i have given up using KRA Online services and the only thing that still take me go to KRA home page is to look at the beautiful smiling face pic they have used ..yeah just to help me forget the mean face behind the computer at KRA