The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Tuesday, May 6, issued a notice to betting and gaming firms urging them to attain clearance from the taxman to guarantee renewal of operating licenses ahead of their looming expiry.
Through a notice, KRA listed nine compliance measures for the betting and gaming firms ahead of the June 30 due date to get their licenses from the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).
“The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) reminds all licensed betting and gaming firms that the current operating licenses for the financial year 2024/2025 issued by the Betting Control & Licensing Board (BCLB) under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act (BL&G Act) are due to expire on 30th June 2025, pursuant to Section 9 of the BL&G Act,” KRA stated.
“Clearance by KRA is a mandatory requirement for renewal of the licenses by the BCLB. In this regard, all betting and gaming operators are encouraged to update their tax matters with KRA to avoid any inconveniences,” they further stated.
To that effect, KRA urged the firms to provide a copy of their current CR12 as well as the updated company iTax profile with the current Directors as per the CR12, the physical location of the company and the contact details.
Further, KRA required filed returns for all tax obligations and respective periods for both the Company and its Directors. It also called for settled tax liabilities for both the Company and its Directors.
Another condition by the taxman was the provision of all requested records for ongoing tax audits and/or compliance checks. This was in addition to full access to systems for ongoing system audits, as is necessary for the purpose of the audit.
The firms would also need to present valid tax compliance certificates (TCC) for both the company and the directors. This was in addition to ensuring integration with KRA Systems as per requirement and for purposes of daily tax remittances and data transmission.
The final condition by KRA was integrated and approved company paybill numbers to facilitate payments.
KRA further directed the companies to present the relevant documents and records pertaining to the aforementioned to be delivered to the KRA Offices at Ushuru Pension Plaza, Muthangari Drive or to the official email addresses of the relationship managers.
The latest comes amidst a suspension by the BCLB on all gambling advertisements across all media platforms in the country, following the accelerating rate of gambling activities and addiction in the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 29, the BCLB chairperson, Jane Mwikali, confirmed that the ban will last for the next 30 days.
According to the board, the ban will apply to all licensed gambling operators and promotional activities aired on television, radio, social media platforms, all forms of print media, outdoor advertising, including billboards, branded transport, SMS, email campaigns, push notifications, celebrity endorsements, and influencer marketing.
