its good to hear all yr views and advice. ithink its important we share our opinions and solution on this to create awareness and educate ourselves better: i was told that if it goes to hearing, the hearing takes place at the kra station office, and the person presiding will be the corrupt officer anyway. they want to now frustrate you more because none of them have got anything or will do because its official and they have to make a example for other traders to avoid this course. basically a etr offense is my word against theirs. say if they say my machine was not giving a proper report or i did a sale without issuing an etr. they will rule me guilty, i will have to pay the fine in full and then i will take the matter to the appeals. note all penalites have to be paid to kra in full up till decision is overturned by a court. furthermore kra can take years to refund you back. so taking all that into consideration i found the 35k much cheaper at the time. can anyone tell me of a better course of action i could have taken, pls lets guide each other.

pops..I can see where you are coming from. But the problem is that you are in a situation where keeping quiet means they've beaten you...Of course they will play games but you would have been heard.

A bully loves it when people are quiet. He fears the day someone stands up to him and rewinds those days in his head every day.

So they took your 35k...you had to save your business. Of course he knows its you already. If you keep quiet he'll send his buddies tommorow and they will take 50k this time...

I think its time you just tell the guy that as long as he took your 35k and your sweat for 2 months, he has to pay and pay dearly.

You have already started well...Now gather the courage, get a few witnesses to support your claim and let it rip....You would have saved yourself sleepless nights and would have the gratitude of every kenyan businessman.

Kama kimeumana kimeumana

Bwana mambo ya bride siwezi ongea na kra.I feel that we have a duty to make sure that people who ruin others by threatening them with fines and law jargons are ashamed and made to pay the hard way.

More often than not,their threats are meant to intimidate. If you hold your ground,most likely they leave you. But you better be on the 'legal" side of things.
It happened to me last year, some kra lady came slapping me with 500k fine because i made a sale "without" charging VAT. I told her i didn't have the bribe she was asking for, 250k but i promised to do so the following day. Come the following day, before she could even call me, i called her and told her i was at Times Tower and i wanted to meet her . Her response was she was out,she would get back to me in a few minutes. I never saw her again even though she tried calling once. Not unless they have concrete evidence, the thing of "their word against yours" can't take them far.
If just saying someone made a sale without issuing etr receipt makes one legally liable, i guess all businesses would at the mercy of vat officials.

@ Pops this maybe abit late though I still think relevant, taking the first statement literally I think if you consult a tax expert you could spare yourself money legally by way of tax avoidance.
Secondly u admitted tax liability probably without being sure of the offense you had committed.
Thirdly, do KRA officers walk alone? Most of this officers cops etc walk in twos and considering that you didn't get the name of the officer you dealt with or his station, there is a likelihood of paying yet again if another officer comes.
I suggest that in future if this happens get the name & number of the officer so he can cover you from his colleagues in future, and also pay him a fee as a consultant so he ensures you are compliant and don't have to keep paying every so often.