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The Finance Bill, 2026, seeks to let the taxman reclassify any commercial deal as tax avoidance [Courtesy]
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to assume unprecedented powers that critics say will make it judge, jury, and executioner in tax disputes.
The Finance Bill, 2026, seeks to let the taxman reclassify any commercial deal as tax avoidance, seize bank accounts while appeals are pending, and mine private payment data without court approval.
The proposal has drawn opposition from the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and four major audit firms, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG. At the heart of the backlash is a set of clauses that, according to legal and industry experts, dismantles decades of taxpayer safeguards.
