KRA PIN
Also known as: KRA Personal Identification Number, PIN certificate, tax PIN
Full definition
The KRA PIN (Personal Identification Number) is the unique 11-character taxpayer identifier the Kenya Revenue Authority issues to every taxpayer, individual or legal entity, in Kenya. It has the format Axxxxxxxxxz where the letters and digits encode taxpayer type, registration sequence and a checksum.
A KRA PIN is required for: opening a Kenyan bank account, employing anyone in Kenya, registering a company at the Business Registration Service, registering a Safaricom Lipa na M-PESA till or paybill (mandatory KYC per Safaricom's merchant onboarding), filing income tax and VAT on iTax, buying or transferring land, importing goods, applying for a driving licence and a KRA-issued good conduct certificate, and any government e-service on eCitizen tied to tax status.
Registration is self-service on iTax at itax.kra.go.ke. Individuals need their national ID or passport; companies need their certificate of incorporation. The PIN is issued instantly. It is displayed on a KRA PIN Certificate PDF that businesses use as a KYC document.
Worked example
To register an M-PESA till at a Safaricom Shop, a business hands over: its KRA PIN certificate, its certificate of registration or incorporation, and the ID of the signatory. Safaricom rejects the application if the KRA PIN business name does not match the registration name.
Verified 2026-09-01. Definitions on paybillke are sourced from Safaricom PLC Annual Report FY2026, the Central Bank of Kenya, the Communications Authority of Kenya, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and the primary operator documentation for each product. How we verify. Report a change.