eTIMS for Hotels: A Plain Guide for Kenyan Owners

If you run a hotel, guesthouse, lodge or B&B in Kenya, you have probably heard about eTIMS and wondered what it means for your business. The short version is that the Kenya Revenue Authority now expects businesses to send their invoices to KRA electronically, in real time. This guide explains what eTIMS is, why it matters for hospitality, and how to get your property ready without turning it into a project that eats your week.

What is eTIMS

eTIMS stands for the electronic Tax Invoice Management System. It is KRA’s system for receiving invoice data from businesses as those invoices are issued. Instead of writing a receipt that only you keep, your system sends the invoice details to KRA and gets back a confirmation, so the sale is recorded for tax purposes at the moment it happens. An invoice that has been through this process is called a fiscalised invoice.

In plain terms, eTIMS is how KRA wants every business invoice to be logged with them, electronically, as it is created.

Why it matters for hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and short-term rentals

Hospitality businesses issue a lot of invoices. Every guest who checks out gets a bill. Every function, every group booking, every bar tab adds up. KRA expects those invoices to be fiscalised. Getting this wrong creates two risks:

• Compliance risk. Invoices that are not fiscalised can create problems with KRA, including penalties.
• Business risk. Corporate guests and organisations increasingly need a proper, compliant tax invoice to pay you and to claim their own expenses. If you cannot produce one, you can lose the booking.

So eTIMS is not just a tax box to tick. Being able to hand a guest a clean, compliant invoice is part of running a credible property.

How fiscalised invoicing works in practice

You do not want your front desk learning tax software. The right setup makes fiscalisation invisible. Here is the flow when it is done well:

1. A guest checks out and you issue their bill, the same as always.
2. Your system sends the invoice details to KRA through an approved channel.
3. KRA returns the fiscal confirmation, and your invoice now carries the required details.
4. The guest gets a compliant invoice, and you have the record.

Your team does the normal job of billing the guest. The fiscalisation happens behind the scenes. That is the goal: compliance without extra clicks.

Where Digitax and your software come in

KRA works with approved partners that connect businesses to eTIMS. Digitax is one of these. The practical setup for a property looks like this:

• Your hotel management software connects to eTIMS through Digitax.
• You pay Digitax a yearly fee for the service.
• Your software handles the actual invoicing, so fiscalisation is part of issuing a normal bill.

InzuHub is eTIMS-ready and built to work this way. We handle the one-time setup that connects your property, you pay the Digitax service directly each year, and from then on your invoices are fiscalised as part of normal checkout. You can see how this fits with the rest of the system on our integrations page.

What it costs

It helps to separate the two parts:

• The Digitax service. Paid yearly, directly to Digitax. The current rate is KES 13,500 per year.
• The setup. InzuHub charges a one-time fee of KES 13,500 to set up and connect your property to eTIMS.

After that, fiscalised invoicing is simply part of how you bill guests. There is no per-invoice effort on your side.

Getting your property ready

You do not need to become a tax expert. You need a few things in place:

1. Your KRA details. Have your KRA PIN and business registration details ready.
2. A system that can fiscalise. Your invoicing needs to connect to eTIMS. This is the part InzuHub handles for you.
3. Clean billing habits. Issue proper bills for every stay and service, so there is a clear invoice to fiscalise.

If you are choosing hotel software, make eTIMS readiness one of your checklist items. Our guide on how to choose hotel management software in Kenya covers the full list.

Common questions owners ask

Owners worry that eTIMS will slow down checkout or confuse their staff. Done properly, it does neither. When fiscalisation is built into the software, your team issues a bill the way they always have, and the compliance happens automatically. The other common worry is cost. As shown above, the figures are modest and predictable, and far cheaper than the risk of non-compliance or losing corporate bookings.

Summary

• eTIMS is KRA’s system for receiving invoice data electronically, in real time.
• Hotels issue many invoices, so fiscalisation matters for both compliance and winning corporate guests.
• The best setup makes fiscalisation invisible, happening as part of normal checkout.
• InzuHub is eTIMS-ready and connects through Digitax, with a one-time setup and a yearly Digitax fee.

Frequently asked questions

Do small B&Bs need eTIMS too? Compliance requirements apply broadly. Even a small property benefits from being able to issue clean, compliant invoices, especially for corporate or organisation guests.

Will eTIMS slow down checkout? No, when it is built into your software. Your team issues the bill as normal and fiscalisation happens behind the scenes.

What do I pay, and to whom? A yearly Digitax service fee (currently KES 13,500) paid directly to Digitax, plus a one-time InzuHub setup fee of KES 13,500.

Is InzuHub already set up for eTIMS? InzuHub is eTIMS-ready and handles the setup that connects your property, so your invoices are fiscalised as part of normal billing.

Want to stay KRA compliant without the headache? InzuHub is eTIMS-ready and handles the setup for you, alongside online bookings and M-Pesa and card payments. Start your free trial or see how integrations work.