The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has set October 31, 2026, as the deadline for Customs agents to apply for renewal of their licences for the 2027 operating period.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 21, KRA said current Customs agents’ licences will expire on December 31, 2026. The exception is licences issued to Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs), which are valid for three years.
The tax authority said the licensing of Customs agents is governed by Section 145 of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, as well as Regulations 149 to 152 of the East African Community Customs Management Regulations, 2010.
KRA directed all licensed Customs agents seeking renewal to submit their applications through the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) platform by October 31, 2026.
The authority urged agents to apply before the deadline to allow sufficient time for processing ahead of the expiry of their current licences.
Applicants are required to attach several supporting documents, including a completed Form C20, which is available on the KRA website, and a valid 2026 Certificate of Registration (CR12/CR13).
They must also provide a valid company Tax Compliance Certificate, a Certificate of Bond and Debt Clearance, a copy of their previous C21 licence and a KIFWA Clearance Certificate for the year in which the application is made.
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The announcement comes shortly after KRA said it would waive penalties and interest incurred by taxpayers following intermittent disruptions to the iTax portal.
The technical problems, reported on Wednesday, September 16, affected return filing and payment services.
KRA said the waiver would apply to penalties and interest directly linked to the verified period during which the affected iTax services were unavailable or intermittently accessible.
The authority said the waiver would be implemented under Section 89(5A) of the Tax Procedures Act, after system checks determine the penalties and interest attributable to the disruption.
KRA apologised for the inconvenience caused by the system interruptions and thanked taxpayers for their patience as efforts were made to restore normal services.
