Support at a glance
| Area | What works in Kenya | What you still do |
|---|---|---|
| eTIMS | Signs issued invoices and credit notes, including POS sales | Connect your own eTIMS setup and map your tax codes |
| M-Pesa | Prompts, paybill and till receipts, automatic matching | Provide your own Daraja credentials |
| Other mobile money | Airtel Money or T-Kash accounts, recorded by hand | Enter each receipt and reference |
| Cards | Payment links through your Pesapal or Flutterwave account | Open and connect an account with the provider |
| VAT | VAT codes, VAT return report and export | File the return yourself |
| Payroll | Kenya rates set up, with PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and housing levy | Upload returns and make payments yourself |
KRA eTIMS
eTIMS is KRA's electronic Tax Invoice Management System. KRA says all persons in business must onboard and issue electronic tax invoices. Navigate connects in one of three ways: OSCU direct to KRA, VSCU running on your own server, or through a certified integrator.
- When an invoice or credit note is issued, Navigate sends it for signing. POS sales use the same process.
- The signed details print in a tax authority block on the document.
- A failed signing does not lose the sale. The error is saved on the document and you can retry.
- A signed document cannot be cancelled. You raise a credit note.
- Foreign-currency documents are converted to Kenya shillings at the rate for their date.
- Each tax code must map to an eTIMS type, A to E. New Kenyan organisations start with these codes.
M-Pesa
M-Pesa here means Safaricom in Kenya shillings. You connect your own paybill or till with Daraja credentials in the API center. It needs a business whose local currency is KES and a package that includes it.
- Send a payment prompt to the customer's phone from the POS or a payment screen.
- Paybill and till payments arrive as transactions, and matching ones can be allocated automatically.
- Payments with no match wait in a list for someone to assign. A customer billed in another currency stays in that list.
- A code is never used twice.
Other payments
Card payment links open a hosted checkout on your own Pesapal or Flutterwave account. Navigate never sees card details, and each result is confirmed with the provider before it counts. At the POS, a card on your own terminal is recorded by typing its approval code. SACCOs can also receive bank notifications from banks with collections APIs.
Tax and payroll
VAT return figures come from your sales and purchases, with drill-down and export. Withholding tax codes are offered for Kenya, and you should check them with KRA.
- Payroll calculates PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, housing levy, pension and insurance relief.
- Remittances list what each body is owed, paid through Treasury with your payment reference.
- CSV schedules cover P10, NSSF, SHIF and housing levy. P9 cards are available per employee.
- Rates are a setting per year, so they can be updated when the law changes.
Paying for Navigate
Businesses in Kenya can pay their subscription by M-Pesa in Kenya shillings, or by card where offered. Card charges are in US dollars by default, converted at the day's rate when the checkout opens.
Where Navigate may not fit
- The eTIMS link sends sales invoices and credit notes only. It does not send purchases or stock movements to KRA.
- There is no direct filing with KRA iTax, NSSF or SHA. You upload and pay yourself.
- Airtel Money and T-Kash are record-keeping accounts only, with no live link.
- M-Pesa needs your own Daraja credentials and will not work for customers billed in another currency.
- Navigate does not give tax advice. Check rates and duties with KRA or your accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Does Navigate work with KRA eTIMS?
Yes. It can sign issued invoices and credit notes through OSCU, VSCU or a certified integrator. It sends sales documents, so test it against your own setup before go-live.
Do customers need to enter a code for M-Pesa?
No, if you use prompts. The customer enters their PIN on the phone and the payment returns to Navigate. Cashiers can also type a code the customer received.
Does Navigate file my VAT or PAYE return with iTax?
No. It prepares the figures and exports. You upload them and pay yourself. P10 columns should be checked against the current KRA template.
Does eTIMS come at an extra cost?
It is listed in every default package, but packages can change. KRA, your device route or an integrator may have their own requirements or fees, so check with them.