How to Verify a KRA PIN in Kenya

How employers can check that a candidate's or employee's KRA PIN is valid and theirs, what the PIN format looks like, and why it matters for payroll.

By Paul Omondi, Founder & CTO · Updated

To verify a KRA PIN, confirm two things: that the PIN is valid on KRA's records, and that it belongs to the person who gave it to you. The second matters as much as the first, because a real PIN can still be someone else's.

Why it matters

PAYE is filed against each employee's KRA PIN, and the same PIN appears on their P9 form. If the PIN is wrong or borrowed, the tax you remit is credited to the wrong person and your filings fail. Verifying the PIN before the first payroll avoids that.

Check the format first

A KRA PIN has 11 characters: a letter, nine digits and a final letter (for example A000000000X).

  • PINs for individuals start with A.
  • PINs for companies and other non-individuals start with P.

A PIN in any other format is wrong. Ask the person to check it against their PIN certificate.

Check it against KRA's records

KRA's iTax portal has a public PIN Checker that needs no login:

  1. Open the PIN Checker on iTax.
  2. Enter the PIN and the security code shown.
  3. The checker returns the registered taxpayer's name, the PIN's status and its tax obligations.

Compare the returned name with the person's national ID. The checker confirms the PIN is real - it cannot confirm that the person in front of you owns it, which is why the name-to-ID comparison matters. Whether the person is tax-compliant is a separate question, answered by the Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) checker, also on iTax.

If the name does not match, ask the person for their KRA PIN certificate before adding them to payroll.

Get consent first

A KRA PIN is personal data. Under the Data Protection Act 2019, tell the person why you are checking it and get their consent, as you would for any other background check.

How Cazini handles this

Cazini's KRA PIN verification confirms that the PIN is valid and matches the candidate, usually within about an hour of their consent. It can be run on its own or with identity, education, employment and criminal record checks, with the results in one report. See background checks.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What does a KRA PIN look like?+

A KRA PIN has 11 characters - a letter, nine digits and a final letter. PINs for individuals start with A and PINs for companies and other non-individuals start with P.

Why should an employer verify a KRA PIN?+

PAYE is filed against each employee's KRA PIN, and P9 forms carry it too. A wrong or borrowed PIN means tax is credited to the wrong person and filings fail.

Do I need consent to verify an employee's KRA PIN?+

Under the Data Protection Act 2019 you should tell the person why you are checking their PIN and get their consent, as with any other background check.

How long does KRA PIN verification take on Cazini?+

Cazini's KRA PIN verification usually takes about an hour once the candidate has consented.

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How to Verify a KRA PIN in Kenya | Cazini