Kenya’s tax on foreign digital platforms doubled to 3%. Here is what actually changed
Kenya's SEPT tax on foreign digital platforms doubled to 3% and collected KES 1.609 billion. Who pays it, explained...
✨ Key Highlights
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has effectively doubled its tax on foreign digital platforms to 3%, under a new Significant Economic Presence Tax (SEPT). This change aims to tax companies selling digital services in Kenya without a physical presence.
- SEPT collected KES 1.609 billion in its first full year, a significant increase from the previous year, impacting foreign platforms selling services like streaming and cloud computing.
- The KRA is the key organization implementing and collecting this tax.
- While the tax rate on platforms doubled, the 16% VAT on consumer subscriptions advertised prices remains unchanged for Kenyan users.
Continue Reading
Read the complete article from Techish Kenya
Part of the Day's Coverage
Kenya’s competition bill would let a regulator police how Uber and Bolt treat drivers - July 2026
Kenya's Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes new regulations empowering the Competition Authority of Kenya to police business practices concerning ride-hailing platform drivers. Separately, the Kenya Revenue Authority has effectively doubled its tax on foreign digital platforms to 3% under a new Significant Economic Presence Tax, targeting companies selling digital services in Kenya without a physical presence. At the same time, Google has introduced a new account recovery method requiring users to record a short video of their face, which has drawn significant criticism due to privacy concerns. These developments highlight growing regulatory scrutiny of digital platforms across Africa.
Kenya's news, briefed daily
Daily Briefs with audio, your topics, and breaking stories.
Related News
Take Kenya's news with you
Breaking stories, daily briefs, and the topics you follow - on your phone, free.
