Tax compliance certificate readiness tracker

What the tax compliance certificate readiness tracker does

A tax compliance certificate application fails when one return is missing. List each tax, period and requirement, set its status and note where the evidence is kept, and the tracker shows how many items are done, how many are pending or have a problem and your readiness as a percentage, so you can fix gaps well before the tender deadline.

Who it is for

Business owners and accountants preparing for tenders, licences and contracts that require a tax compliance certificate.

How to use the workbook

1. List every return and payment the certificate depends on.
2. Set the status of each item and note the evidence.
3. Fix anything marked pending or problem and set a due date.
4. Apply when readiness reaches 100%.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Requirement, tax and period on every row
• Done, pending or problem status
• Evidence kept and owner for each item
• Readiness percentage at the top
• Summary by status with a chart

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Requirements, By status. The main table has the columns Requirement; Tax; Period; Status; Evidence kept?; Owner; Due date. 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

• File nil returns; a missing one blocks the certificate.
• Clear small balances; they still count.
• Check directors' own compliance where it applies.
• Diarise the certificate's expiry date.

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: Kra penalty 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: KRA Late Filing Penalty and Interest Calculator
• Guide: How KRA uses data matching and what it means for you
• Guide: How to handle a pay delay from your employer
• Guide: What happens after a court or tribunal ruling in a tax case
• Another template: Excise duty return workbook
• Another template: Individual tax calendar
• Another template: KRA filing and payment calendar

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