Employee tax return document checklist

What the employee tax return document checklist does

Most late returns are really late documents. List what you need: the P9, bank interest certificates, insurance and pension statements, rent receipts, and anything else for your situation. Tick each one when you hold a clear copy, and the checklist shows how ready you are to file.

Who it is for

Employees with a salary and a little other income, and anyone helping them prepare a return.

How to use the workbook

1. Add or remove documents to match your situation.
2. Note where each document comes from.
3. Tick it when you hold a clear copy.
4. File when the readiness reaches 100 percent.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Documents with their source
• Held or missing status
• Readiness percentage
• Count of documents still missing
• Simple layout you can print

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Documents, Summary. The main table has the columns Document; From; Held?; Status. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Ask for documents early; employers and banks can take weeks.
• Keep digital copies as well as paper.
• Check each document names you and your PIN correctly.
• Keep the checklist with the filed return.

Why keep this record

Most tax trouble comes from late or missing records rather than from the tax itself. When the figures are collected as they happen, preparing a return becomes a matter of copying totals, not of searching for receipts. A workbook that follows the same layout as the return also makes it easier to spot a number that looks wrong before KRA does, and to explain it if asked.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Tax figures change with each Finance Act, so check the Rates sheet against KRA's current guidance before you file. Keep the supporting documents with the workbook, and keep each year's copy for at least five years in case KRA asks for proof.

Read the KRA filing calendar for small businesses for the wider picture. Free calculators that go with it: P9 tax return calculator, Tax reliefs calculator. See more tax templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Free calculator: Annual Tax Return Estimator (P9)
• Free calculator: Tax Reliefs Calculator
• Guide: The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion
• Guide: Tax compliance certificate vs PIN certificate: what is the difference?
• Guide: Keeping your personal finances and tax in order with Excel
• Another template: Individual tax return workpaper
• Another template: Annual income tax estimator
• Another template: Household tax obligations register

Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.