The KRA PIN: getting one, checking one, and getting back into iTax
By David Wachira · KRA hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with KRA.
Everything to do with a KRA PIN happens on iTax, at itax.kra.go.ke. New PINs come from New PIN Registration on the portal home page. Any PIN can be verified by anyone using the free PIN Checker. If you have a PIN but cannot get in, the route is Forgot Password / Unlock Account, not a second registration.
Never register twice
Start here, because it is the mistake that costs the most time to undo. A KRA PIN is tied to your identity, not to your login. If you cannot get into iTax, you have a login problem, not a PIN problem.
Applying for a second PIN against the same identity creates a mess that has to be unpicked by KRA, and in the meantime returns, compliance status and any employer or bank that checks your PIN can all end up pointing at the wrong record. The recovery route exists precisely so you do not have to do this. Use it.
Getting a new PIN
- Go to itax.kra.go.ke.
- Under Do you want to apply for a PIN? choose New PIN Registration.
- KRA publishes Guidelines for PIN Registration alongside the link on the same page. Read them first; they set out which taxpayer type you are, and choosing wrong is the usual cause of a rejected application.
- Complete the registration and keep the acknowledgement. Your PIN certificate is downloadable from iTax once issued.
Checking a PIN, yours or anyone else's
iTax carries a public PIN Checker on the portal home page, described simply as “To verify PIN, Click Here”. It is free and it does not need a login.
This is genuinely useful beyond your own affairs. If a supplier, landlord, contractor or online seller gives you a PIN, the checker tells you whether it exists and who it belongs to. A PIN that does not resolve is a red flag worth acting on before money moves.
The same page carries five more checkers that most people never notice:
- TCC / Exemption / Excise Licence Checker: verify a tax compliance certificate rather than taking a PDF at face value.
- WHT Checker: verify a withholding tax certificate.
- Agent Checker: confirm somebody really is an appointed withholding agent.
- Status Checker: check the state of your own applications.
- Control Unit Checker and Invoice Number Checker: verify an eTIMS control unit serial and the invoices it issued.
If you have ever been handed a tax compliance certificate and wondered whether it was real, that is what the TCC checker is for.
Locked out of iTax
The iTax login asks whether you are signing in with a PIN or an ID, which trips people who only ever remember one of the two. Try the other before assuming the account is gone.
If the password is the problem, use Forgot Password / Unlock Account on the login box. Recovery runs to the email address held on the iTax profile, which is why a stale email address is the single most common reason recovery fails. If you no longer control that address, this becomes a KRA support matter rather than a self-service one.
KRA contact: call centre 020-4999999 or 020-4998000, mobile 0711-099999, email callcentre@kra.go.ke. Head office is Times Tower, Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi.
What the PIN is actually for
About this page
| Service | What it does | Login needed |
|---|---|---|
| New PIN Registration | Apply for a KRA PIN | No |
| PIN Checker | Verify that a PIN exists and who holds it | No |
| TCC / Exemption / Excise Licence Checker | Verify a tax compliance certificate | No |
| WHT Checker | Verify a withholding tax certificate | No |
| Agent Checker | Verify an appointed withholding agent | No |
| Status Checker | Check the status of your applications | No |
| Control Unit Checker | Verify an eTIMS control unit serial number | No |
| Invoice Number Checker | Verify a control unit invoice number | No |
| Forgot Password / Unlock Account | Recover access to an existing PIN | No |
Frequently asked
How do I get a KRA PIN?
On itax.kra.go.ke, choose New PIN Registration. Read the Guidelines for PIN Registration linked on the same page first, because picking the wrong taxpayer type is the usual cause of rejection.
How do I check a KRA PIN?
Use the PIN Checker on the iTax portal home page. It is free, needs no login, and tells you whether a PIN exists and who it belongs to.
I forgot my KRA PIN password.
Use Forgot Password / Unlock Account on the iTax login. Recovery goes to the email on your iTax profile, so an out-of-date address is the usual blocker.
Can I apply for a second KRA PIN?
You should not. A PIN is tied to your identity. If you cannot log in, that is a login problem and there is a recovery route for it. A duplicate PIN has to be unpicked by KRA.
Can I log in to iTax with my ID instead of my PIN?
Yes. The iTax login lets you choose PIN or ID. If one is not working, try the other before assuming the account is lost.
How do I check if a tax compliance certificate is genuine?
Use the TCC / Exemption / Excise Licence Checker on the iTax home page rather than accepting the PDF at face value.