Kenyan Banks start sharing customer data, balances with KRA

Kenyan Banks Take Stride Towards Fiscal Transparency by Sharing Customer Data with Tax authorities

The Policy Aligns with Global Common Reporting Standards (CRS) for Enhanced Tax Compliance

In a significant move towards fiscal transparency, Kenyan banks are now mandated to share customer information with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), endorsing the Common Reporting Standards (CRS) initiative.

The directive, endorsed by the Treasury Cabinet Secretary in January 2023, requires banks, trusts, and financial entities to seamlessly disclose critical information about both local and foreign customers to the KRA.

The CRS, a global tax initiative backed by 106 countries, aims to promote tax compliance and combat illicit wealth accumulation by foreigners.

Under these regulations, banks must provide the KRA with details such as account holder names, addresses, tax identification numbers, and account balances or values at the year-end, particularly for accounts with a balance less than Sh 1m.

For accounts exceeding Sh 1million, additional information is mandated, including the account holder’s date and place of birth, gross proceeds, and gross withdrawals or payments made during the year.

Kenya’s participation in the CRS aligns with the global effort to fight tax evasion, enabling the KRA to access information on Kenyan residents with offshore accounts.

The KRA assures account holders that their data will be used exclusively for tax purposes and shared only with tax authorities in other participating countries.

Strict measures have been implemented to safeguard this information from unauthorized access or disclosure.

While the CRS initiative is designed to enhance revenue collection and fiscal operations, there is notable skepticism among Kenyans about the government accessing their financial details.

Despite this, Kenyan banks have commenced the implementation of the framework, with some already notifying customers of compliance, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s pursuit of fiscal transparency.