In this video, I show you how to register a business online in Kenya.
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Category: DOING BUSINESS IN KENYA
Tips on doing business in Kenya.
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How to Register a Business or a Limited Company In Kenya
Video- How to Register a Business or limited company in kenya. -
4 Factors to Consider When Deciding Which TAX PIN to Use In Your Business in Kenya
Many people find themselves in dilemma when deciding which PIN to using for tax purposes in their business. Before making a decision on this, there are several factors that one must consider.
Video Guide – Which Tax Pin Do You Use in Your Business in Kenya 
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com Before we delve in, its important to have in mind that one can use his/her personal Pin to run business.
In this blogpost, I will share with you 4 factors to consider when deciding which tax PIN to use in your business. The information I am going to share with you here is based on my personal experience.
Business Registration Level
Business registration levels vary and matters. There is the Sole Proprietor Business, Partnership Business, Private and Public Limited Company and Company Limited Guarantee. Each of these have different requirements at the time of registration.
Its only possible to use individual tax Pin with Sole Proprietorship and Private Limited Company businesses. This is because an individual can register and run them as the only director. The rest type of businesses don’t qualify because it requires more than one director when registering.
While with Private Limited Company, one can use their own personal pin, I recommend getting an independent Pin for this type of business. It will safe you a lot of trouble as your the business grow.
Individual Preference
Some people prefer to have their business affairs separated from their personal life. In this case, it will be good to get a separate PIN for your business if you fall in this category of people. This way, all the activities associated with your business will be dealt with separately e.g VAT returns, WHT returns e.t.c.
Alternatively, if it’s a Sole Proprietorship business or Private Limited company and you are okay with using your individual PIN for business transactions, you can do so.
Number Of Business Owned
How many businesses do you own? If you own more than 2 businesses, I will advise you to have separate tax PIN’s for each of the businesses. This will make your record keeping and management easy. As each of your businesses grow, more accountability is needed.
This means that at some point, you will employ an accountant to help you keep the books of account and file your tax returns. For security purposes on your individual taxes, I recommend having a separate tax PIN for business.
Type of Taxes Your Business is Eligible
Your business will be taxed according to the products and services the business supplies. I suggest your check out the various taxes levied on different businesses in Kenya on the KRA website here.
When you know which taxes your business will be required to pay/remit, its easy to decide on whether to use your individual PIN or not.
Conclusion
When deciding on which TAX PIN to use in your business, its important to consider your business registration level, your individual preference, number of business owned and the type of taxes you are eligible for.
Additionally, its good to put into account your projected business growth. As your business grows, you employ people to manage your accounts. When this happens, it will be save not to allow people to access your individual tax account. This thus means that having a business tax PIN is preferable.
With all this said, I hope this information is helpful to anyone setting up their business out there.
Finally, if you are looking for professional video production services, Techtube Video Studio is ready to help you out. Request a quote today on their website here. You will get a response within 12 hours.
And until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
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How to Remove A Director or Official From Your Company Or Business Online
In this video I am going to show you how to remove a director or official from your registered business or company online. Click play to watch now
Video – How to Remove A Director or Official From Your Company Or Business Online RELATED VIDEOS
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6 Step Guide To Setting Up Your Terms As An Online Business Owner or A Freelancer
‘Having Clear Terms‘ is the means to success online as a business owner or a freelancer. Experience has thought me that if you don’t have well defined terms, the probability of you succeeding online is very slim.
So where do you start? The answer to this is reliant on your level of experience serving online clients as a business owner or a freelancer. Do you understand how online marketplace work?
For example, have you used Escrow payment before or do you know how it works? Working out your ‘own terms‘ is not something that you can do in one day. It comes in as they are needed.
Let’s say it’s a paragraph or point that you add to your existing list of terms in a document as the need arises.
When defining your terms, its good to know where to start. That is what I will focusing on this blogpost.
1. Scope of Work
It starts with the clients scope of work. What does the client want you to do and can you do it?. This is very important. Many online business owners and freelancers I know in the video production industry are good at video creation and editing. However, when it comes to animations and motion graphics, they outsource.
Make sure you are very clear with your client in what you can provide, outsource and what you cannot. Don’t lie that you can do it or find someone who can do it and end up not doing it. You will have failed the client and yourself.
Making your stand very clearly understood by the client is in itself a term. e.g Telling the client “I will require you to provide a given list of items” makes it clear to the client on what you will provide.
2. Cost of The Project
Once you have agreed with the client on the scope of work and both of you are happy, move on to the cost of the project. How much will the project cost? Based on the defined scope of work, come up with a quotation listing each item and it’s cost. Most clients are ok if you do this directly on the e-mail body.
Professionally, I recommend doing your quotation on Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and sharing it as a link or attaching it to the e-mail as a PDF file. This way, collaboration will be easy and the client can print the document and put it on a file for records.
Costing is usually easy if you have your own standard production rates.
3. Payment Terms
Now that the client has agreed to your proposed quote and the deal is closed, go ahead and discuss with him/her, how you would like the client to pay you. Mostly, it’s good to break down this into two parts.
- Payment Breakdown – Since you have not met the client in person and probably the client is on another continent, have them make a down payment of 50% as a show of commitment. Alternatively, if you are using Escrow service, have the payment broken down to 2 parts of 50/50. 50% when you deliver the first draft of the video and the remaining 50% once you are done.
- Payment Methods – Share with your client the payment methods you prefer. e.g. PayPal, Credit card e.t.c.
Most clients love it when you are clear on how you would like to receive your payments. They know that by honoring your terms, their work will be completed on time.
4. Revisions And Modifications
Once you deliver the project and the client needs revisions or modifications, what are your terms on this? For example you can say, you offer 3 rounds of revisions for free. Anything after that is billable.
If you are new to online business and freelance marketplace, you will not know it until a client requests for several revisions to a point you are tired of making them.
When revisions and modification term is in place, everyone will be careful not to make any mistake from their end because of the cost implications.
5. Mode of Collaboration
As an online freelancer or business owner, expect to receive large files from your clients. This means you must be subscribed to a paid cloud service like Dropbox, OneDrive or GoogleDrive. This way, you can have your file sync automatically on the background.
Agree on a mode of collaboration for their project. E.g If you are a content creator, you can decide to use google docs for scripting and Dropbox for videos. Either way, it will be easy for each of you to quickly locate a shared file and share their feedback.
If you are dealing directly with the client, communication through e-mail is ok. However if you are dealing with a team, then using free collaboration apps like slack will be great.
6. Refund Policy
Lastly, it’s good to have a refund policy in place as part of your terms. What happens if the client requests for a refund after you have started work with them? That’s why this is important. This way, when the client is getting into work agreement with you and making partial payments, they understand clearly the policy.
A good refund policy is the one that is considerate. A win win. i.e. ‘If the client cancels the contract after delivery of the first draft of the video with no clear reason, 50% paid as the down payment will not be refunded.’
Conclusion
Ensure the client signs and sends you back the contract terms you share with them before starting work.
We all know, people hate signing documents with long form terms. Insist that you have an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) in place anyway before starting any work. Clients with high value contracts are the ones who requests you to sign an NDA because they know the risks and consequences of what may arise later.For example, if you offer video production services like me, and in your contract with the client, you had a clause on commercial license fee of 10% of the contract sum. You can sue the client if they use the content commercially without consulting you. Contracts are there to protect each party from abuse.
And that is it from me here.
What are your guiding pointers when defining your terms to a client as a video producer?
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you need professional video tutorial services for websites and apps, you can request a free quote on www.techtubestudio.com . You will get a response within 12 hours.
Until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
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5 Video Production Skills That Will Make You Money Online in Kenya Today
The demand for video services online today is huge. More and more companies are looking for competent video producers to work on their video projects.
Watch video – 5 Skills to Make You Money Online Today Anyone who is committed can succeed making money online producing videos for individuals and businesses.
In this day and era, you can learn any skill related to video production online for free on YouTube.
Arts and Design category leads with 77% in representation by freelancers compared to other categories. This is according to Freelance Forward Economist Report 2021. This means there is a huge demand for Arts and Design skills compared to others.
Upwork
Getting Started
So how does the video producer decide which skills to employ in a given project?
Its mainly based on the script provided to them by the client. Largely, video producers, editors, animators and motion graphics designers are paid to work on projects that are meant for use commercially.
The end determines the means. How best will the message be communicated? This question will be answered based on the assets the client has and proposes to be used in producing the video. From here the skills needed will come out automatically.
On this blogpost, I will be sharing with you Top 5 video production skills that can make you money online in Kenya and are self thought.
List of top 5 Categories in Video production that will make you money online.
- Screencast Video Production
- Motion graphics and infographics animations
- Production of 2D Animation And Whiteboard Explainer videos
- 3D animation
- Video Editing
1. Screencast Video Production
Screencast video production is a little hyped category in video production but has a lot of demand in the tech space. The potential of growth with this category of video production is high. Screencast video production is basically recording computer/tablet/phone screens of a software or SaaS application in action showing users how to use the product or service.
Application of screencast video production knowledge can be used in many areas in video production.
Screencast videos are the ones you find posted on most of the giant website help pages showing users how to do certain tasks on the platform.
While this can be done by anyone, most of the product owners prefer to have the work done by someone else professionally.
This is where they employ the skills of a screencast video producer, freelancer or a production agency. Screencast video production is more than recording the computer or software screens.
There is a learning phase where you study how the software or application works before doing the actual work.
To do screencast videos, you need to have access to a professional screen recording and editing software like Camtasia studio.
Potential Earnings Per Month
This skill has potential of earning you a minimum of $1000 to $5000 a month as a freelancer. It requires a lot of patience and commitment at the beginning before you break through.
2. Motion Graphics and Infographics Animation
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com Motion graphics has many different definitions. I will define it using my own words. Its basically animation of text, graphic designs, videos and images to communicate a message in the most entertaining way.
Kinetic typography is a good example of a motion graphic videos.
Infographics animation on the other hand is more less the same. The difference is that with infographics, your are adding motion to existing informational graphics or data. e.g case studies.
Depending on your experience, you can use basically any professional software. To be on the safe side, I recommend learning how to use Adobe after effects. With the software, you are not limited in what you can create.
Motion graphics skill has demand all over. Once you have built a name around it, your earning potential will be huge.
Potential Earnings Per Month: One video of 2 Mins can make you $300-1000. If you do let’s say 5 videos a month, you are good.
3. Production of 2D Animation and Whiteboard Explainer Videos
2D animations and whiteboard explainer videos are two different things but share a common ground. Vector graphics and illustrations are used to produce them. For 2D, its more of custom designs and animations. e.g Tom and Jerry or the The Pink Panter.
On the other hand, whiteboard explainer videos are produced using pre-designed templates that comes with the video production software you purchase. You just only drag and drop the elements you need in the video based on the script you have.
2D animation projects pays well if the assignment at hand entails working on a TV show or a movie.
Potential Earnings on 2D Animation
One can earn up to $100k to work on a long form movie animation that may take almost a year to produce.
On the other hand, whiteboard explainer videos created using premade illustrations and templates don’t pay much but is highly on demand.
Earning Potential Doing Whiteboard Explainers
On average one gets paid a minimum of $100 to create a 1 minute whiteboard explainer video. You only need to produce 10 Minutes of animation to make $1000.
Software’s like Animaker, Vyond and Powtoon are popular for use in creating whiteboard explainer videos.
4. 3D Animations
Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com 3D animation is one of the most demanding skill compared to other categories in video production. That’s why many video producers don’t like it much. In order to model a very smooth and good quality 3D animation video, you need a computer with high specs, time and a lot of RAM to render your animations.
That’s why it may cost up to $3000 to develop a 1 Minute high end 3D Animation.
If you have the right equipment’s and software to work on 3D animations, the potential to earn good money as an independent professional is high online.
Earning potential
$500-3000 per minute of a 3D animation.
5. Video Editing
With many individuals and businesses embracing Youtube as a way of marketing their businesses, there is a constant and growing demand for video editing services. Business minded individuals are looking for video editors to work on their YouTube content.
This means if you are a good video editor, you have the potential to earn good money editing videos.
The secret behind succeeding as a video editor is looking for many long term clients.Earning Potential
If you charge $20/hour to edit a video and a client hires you to work for 10 hours a week, you make $200/week. In a month, you make $800 from one client.
If you are able to get clients who collectively pays you for 40 hours a week and offers to assign you work for a long term, you make good money. In a week you will be making $800 and $2400 a month.
Conclusion
Earning potential of any creative in the video production industry depends majorly on their aggressiveness, how well they communicate, their creativity and negotiation skills. If one is able to negotiate for a good pay, they will earn good money at the end.
And that is it from me here.
What other category of skill in video production can a creative make money with online?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you are looking for professional video production services, Techtube Video Studio is ready to sort you out. You can request a quote for Free on their site here.
Until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony
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8 Common Forms Of Debit And Credit Card Fraud in Kenya
Owing rampart cases of card fraud where individuals are billed for purchases they did not authorize, many Kenyans are afraid of using their debit or credit cards online when shopping.
Watch Video Forms of Card Fraud Cases In Kenya One of the popular online card fraud case in the past years worldwide is carding. It originated from the dark web. Most of the activities that takes place in the dark web are not traceable. That’s how dark web infrastructure is structured.
What is Carding?
According to Wikipedia, carding is the trafficking and unauthorized use of credit cards. The stolen credit cards or credit card numbers are then used to buy prepaid gift cards to cover up the tracks. The process encompasses exploitation of personal data, and money laundering techniques.
In other words, the scammer makes sure the stolen card is working. He then uses it to purchase a prepaid card on his name. From there, further purchases with the prepaid card will be hard to trace.
Though cases of carding has not been reported in Kenya yet, scammers popularly known as wash wash are doing it.
On this blogpost, I will focus on 8 common card fraud cases in Kenya. I will cover them from the most common to the least common.
- Card Cracking
- Chargeback fraud or friendly fraud
- Account takeover on e-commerce website
- Interception fraud
- Point of Sales(POS) Fraud
- Phishing and Vishing
- Keystroke logging
- Application Fraud
1. Card Cracking
Card cracking is the use card stolen numbers.
A good case of card cracking is the one that was reported by Nation Media last year here.
Two Bulgarians, Ivan Petkov and Milko Kostadinov, were arrested and charged in a Kilifi court when they were found with 44 ATM cards and over Sh2 million.
A Screenshot of Card Cracking case reported by nation Media The money is believed to have been stolen from various bank accounts using the cards.
When enquiries was made on the affected banks, they were unable to trace or explain how the money was getting lost. This left them with no option but to refund the affected customers.
2. Chargeback or Friendly Fraud
This is a case where a customer makes purchases using their own credit or debit card and then disowns that transaction saying that it was not them. This kind of fraud is usually easy to trace.
Evidence can found in form of – cvv/avs match, IP address match, location data, copies of e-mailed invoices, the terms and conditions the customer agreed at the time of purchase e.t.c
3. Account Takeover On a E-commerce Website
Ever heard of people complain that their account has been hacked on a merchant site like Jumia, Amazon e.t.c? If the user had their credit card registered as a payment method on the hacked account, the fraudster will make purchases from the site until the debit account runs dry.
If this is not reported early, the fraudster can get away with it. On the other hand if the case is reported early enough, the hacker can be easily traced using the delivery address he/she has entered for the ordered items or the billing address he used in purchasing a given digital product e.tc.
4. Interception Fraud
Lets say you are browsing online and you found a product you like on a given website. Let’s call the site A. You do your own due diligence and you find out that site A is safe and secure. You use your card to purchase the product. A week later, you receive an e-mail notification that your have made another purchase (that you did not authorize) on a different site (lets call it site B) using the same card you used to make a purchase a week earlier.
This is what is called card interception fraud. The site owner or admin of site A took your card details and card information you supplied and used it to make the purchase on site B.
I recently saw a tweet of a foreigner warning travelers coming to Kenya to watch out for fraudulent e-visa scam sites especially kenyan-travels.com. They site appears legit but they will scam users ID and credit card.
5. Point of Sales (POS) Fraud
Point of sales fraud happens when a skimming device is attached to the POS devices to scan and store card information while the customer completes a swipe transaction. Several cases of scammers attaching a skimming devices on an ATM machine has been reported in US in the past years.
POS machine with skimming devise attached. 6. Phishing and Vishing
Phishing is very common in Kenya especially with Mpesa users and KCB bank account holders. This is where fraudsters impersonates official communication from the bank or service provider with the aim of duping unsuspecting users into revealing their credit card details. If they succeed, they will withdraw everything from the account of the victim.
7. Keystroke Logging
In order for the fraudster to succeed with Keystroke logging, they will first need install a malicious software or hardware on the target device. The malicious software will be used to capture credit card details through recording every key pressed on their system.
Keystroke logging happens mostly to users who purchase cheap used gadgets online.
8. Application Fraud
This is a type of identity theft where fraudulent actors impersonates a genuine customer to obtain a credit card. The fraudsters uses customers stolen or counterfeit documents to make their application.
How are the banks are working to curb card Fraud
Most banks are now upgrading from 3D secure version 1 to 3D secure version 2. With 3D card authentication, the system identifies you as the actual card holder before any transaction can take place by sending a One time password(OTP) on users registered mobile number. This will prove that the actual card holder is the one undertaking an online transaction and therefore it is a genuine transaction.
Global card payment industry mandate requires all the banks to move to the newest version of 3D secure by October 2022.
Ways to Safeguard Yourself Against Debit/Credit Card Fraud
- Report stolen cards to your bank.
- Be careful when using your card online. Do not give out your credit card number online unless the site is secure and reputable.
- Memorize your CVV number then scratch it off the card to avoid misuse when you lose or its stolen.
- Setup alerts of all your transactions. This way you will be notified of any fraudulent transactions on your card.
- Be careful when responding to special investment offers especially from unsolicited e-mail addresses.
- Keep track of your documents and ensure you destroy redundant copies before disposal. This way, none of your private information will be exposed.
- Be extra careful when dealing with foreign businesses or companies outside your country.
And that is it from me.
What’s your card fraud story? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you are in need of video production services, let me know here. Alternatively, you can you can request a quote for free here.
Until next time, bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
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5 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Business or Company Name To Register in Kenya
Photo by nappy on Pexels.com Before deciding to register a business or company, having a name in mind that want to register is key. Most business name choices are dependent on many factors like brands, associations, type of business, location and more.
When choosing a business name, it’s important to draw inspiration from the popular successful businesses around you.
Ask yourself; What makes their name unique? Can you recall their name easily? These questions will be very helpful when you are deciding a business name to register.
On this blogpost, I will share with you 5 factors to consider when you choosing a business name to register.
Watch video : 5 Factors to Consider When Choosing A Business or Company Name To Register in Kenya Choose A Name That’s Simple And Easy to Pronounce
Stick to a short name with few words. Choose a name that anyone can easily read and recall. For example, the name Lincolyn Ventures may be unique, but a bit hard for some people to read and master. On the other hand shortening the name to Linco Ventures will make it easy for anyone to read, pronounce and write.
Consider the customers you are going to interact with when telling them about your business. How easy will it be for you to pronounce the name to anyone?
Pick A Name Around Your Type of Business
What type of business are you into? Many a times, coming up with a name that is neutral or related to your business is key. Draw inspiration from other successful businesses that you see around.
For example, YUM! BRANDS owns many fast food franchise outlets across the world. These includes KFC, Pizza Hut and Tacco Bell. The first word in the business name is simple, unique and easy to master -YUM. We all know that when the food is sweet it’s ‘Yummy.’ This is what makes it easy to master.
Consider A Neutral Name
Doing business in todays fast paced world is tough. Trends change thus what we do or offer as a business entity. It’s therefore important to come up with a neutral business name that you can use in any field.
For instance, business name Dan & Jeff Consultants can only work well in consultancy type of businesses. This is unless you have different brand names operating under the company name.
Business name Linco Ventures Limited is a good example of a neutral name. If you find an opportunity to do business in any field, you can accept it without any conflict.
Think of A Name Around Your Origin And Identity
Which country do you come from? Do you come from a region with rich traditional cultures? Think of an easy name that identifies with your culture of origin. This will make your business stand out. The idea of forming a business name around your origin can be a secret that you can only share when asked.
Avoid obvious names that sounds tribal. Carefully sort out the words you use to make it neutral. Relative names will remind you of where you come from as a business person.
Follow Business Name Reservation Guidelines
When thinking of registering a business, it’s very important to first go through the business name reservation guidelines available here on the Business Registration Portal (BRS). The list outlines what one needs to have in mind when planning to apply for business name reservation.
For instance;
- Businesses with the word “Enterprises” at the end cannot use Initials e.g J.K and Brian Enterprises.
- Single words are not accepted.
- Names with the word “Foundation” must be registered as Companies limited by guarantee.
- Names starting with the word “Kenya” are only reserved for the government.
- Names with “welfare”, Organization, Association, are not allowed.
There are nine more conditions you have to adhere to when registering a company in Kenya which can be found here on the BRS portal.
Conclusion
Business registration is the first step towards starting and running a legal business in Kenya. It’s guided by the business registration service act 2015. Please take a moment to read the article, How to Start a Business In Kenya Today here to learn more.
Don’t be a in a rush to register any business name. Be patient with your yourself and take your time before going ahead and applying for a name reservation. Do it only when you are ready.
Is there any other factor that I missed out that one need to consider when registering a business in Kenya?
Please let me know by sharing your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you are in need of professional video production services, let me know here. You may want to request a free quote on www.techtubestudio.com.
That is it from here today.
And until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
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6 Mandatory Requirements Needed In Order To Register a Foreign Business or Company in Kenya
The process of registering any business in Kenya online is nearly the same. However, when registering a foreign company, the mandatory requirements needed to complete the process are quite different. This is based on the companies act 2015.
You can make your application online via the BRS portal.
In this blogpost, I will highlight six mandatory requirements you need to have in order to register a foreign company.
Watch Video: 6 Requirements to Register a Foreign Company in Kenya PS: This is just a summary of the mandatory requirements based on the information collected on the Kenya Business Registration Portal. You can find a detailed guide about registering a foreign company in Kenya here.
#1 Copy of Certificate of Registration or Incorporation
This is the copy of the certificate of registration from the country of origin. The copy of the certificate must be notarized. Also, if the certificate of incorporation and charter is not in English, the applicant must provide a translation of the same.
#2 Local Representation
This process also requires that the company or business to have a local representation.
They representative can be part of local board of directors and may be assigned specific powers in addition to it’s foreign directors.
On top of this, the applicant must also share names and postal addresses of one of the local representative in Kenya. They will be authorized to accept notices when needed to be served on behalf of the company.
#3 Companies Constitution
Attach a certified/notarized copy of of the companies constitution/ the Charter/Statutes/ Articles or other instruments defining the constitution of the company or the equivalent. If it is in other language, it has to be translated to English.
#4 List of Shareholders And Directors
In your application, you have to attach names and details of shareholders and directors of the company or business.
#5 Memorandum of Association
Attach a memorandum of association drafted locally which is certified and executed by or on behalf of the company.
The memorandum should state the powers of the directors who (a) reside in Kenya (b) are members of a local board of directors.
#6 Notice of The Companies Registered Office
When making your application, there is form that you fill and it requires you enter details of the companies registered office in its place of origin. If the company doesn’t have such an office, then it’s principal place of business in its place of origin.
There are more other requirements which are dependent on how big the company you are registering is. You can find the instruction about registering a foreign company here.
I hope to this article was helpful. If you have any questions related to business registration in Kenya, do not hesitate to consult BRS support. I wish you the very best as you set up your business in Kenya.
And if you are in need of professional video production services, let me know here. You may want to request a free quote on www.techtubestudio.com.
And until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
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8 Kenyan Websites And Apps That Toped My List in 2021
Online service delivery is proving to be very efficient and convenient in Kenya. 2 years ago, you could not get an e-mail reply from many of the government institutions’ websites if you contacted them via their contact form. That’s still the case today in a some of them.
Watch Video – Kenyan Websites That Topped My List in 2021 I used and reviewed some of the Kenyan websites in 2021 which include government, parastatals and banks. Based on my experience, all of them got good rating when it came to resolving issues related to their services.
On this blogpost, I will highlight some of the top sites and mobile applications which many Kenyans use on their daily basis. Almost all of the services that I am going to review here saved me a great deal in 2021.
Mpesa App
I love this app for what it does. Let me start with its ability to allow users to transact globally. Some of the clients I work with reside in different parts of the world and pay me using Paypal. Being able to receive payments from PayPal in minutes to Mpesa with good exchange rate is great deal.
Paypal to Mpesa and vice versa Inside the app, you can see the link to either top up PayPal or Withdraw money from PayPal. The process is as easy as paying a bill. Also, you will receive your money within few minutes.
The second beautiful thing I love about Mpesa app is being able tag expenses each time you spend. E.g when you pay for shopping, you can tag the expense as ‘shopping.’
At the end of the month, you will be able to see how much money you spent on shopping. This really helps in managing expenses and being accountable.The third feature I have been using and love is the Mpesa mini-apps. The mini-apps within the Mpesa app is quite convenient to those using the app. E.g With mini-apps, am able to book a flight, train, buy electricity tokens, pay for insurance e.t.c.
If you are someone who is looking for ways to save time and money, then you will enjoy using Mpesa App for the convenience that it brings.
KRA iTax Portal
KRA iTax portal services KRA iTax portal is another very convenient website for me that I use in filling my monthly Tax returns.
I visited the iTax portal a lot in 2021 to file returns, request for waiver, update my personal information and more. The portal really saved me time and money.
You don’t have to pay someone to help you file returns if you have little transactions every month. It’s easy to file returns once you learn how to do it.
One can use iTax portal to file returns, generate payment receipts’, clear all penalties associated with their PIN and more.Also, I used the portal to request for a Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC).
For more information on the tasks you can accomplish on the kRA iTax portal, here is blogpost that I wrote on 10 things you can do there.
Business Registration Portal (BRS)
Register Business in Kenya This is a site I like when it comes to registering and managing my businesses.
On BRS portal, I was able to update my registered businesses’ contact information directly on the portal. Also, I updated the beneficiaries of my company as per companies act 2015.
At the the comfort of your home, you can apply and pay for business registration on the BRS portal today.
Office of The Attorney General(AG) Portal
This is the site for requesting company closure or strike off.
Closing a company in Kenya Towards the end of the year 2021, I initiated the process of striking off Trendline Network Ltd here. You can access the portal on the address www.ag.ecitizen.go.ke.
When you make an application to strike off your company, it will take up 5 days to be reviewed. It will either be approved or rejected.
Kenya Gazette Weekly Kenya Law
You can find useful resources related to law on Kenya law website.
I found this site last year when looking for the weekly Kenya Gazette publication. The Gazette is free to download on the site.
After my application for company strike off was approved, I was advised to regularly check the weekly Kenya Gazette, for the first publication on the first month, and the last publication after 90 days.
Kenya Law website has been very helpful to me when following up on company closure.NHIF Portal
NHIF Self Care Services NHIF selfcare portal was very helpful to me in 2021. After many years of not paying for my medical insurance, In 2021, I was able to finally update my personal data via the NHIF self care portal.
Also, I was able to change the outpatient hospital via the portal.
It’s easy and secure to use NHIF online services besides being able to do everything at home.Ardhisasa Portal
I did a review of ArdhiSasa portal in 2021 and published it here. During the review, I tried different things on the site and I was contented with the portal speed and ease of use.
Ardhisasa Kenya Review
On Ardhisasa, you can search and transfer property, order a plan and order a tittle of any property in Nairobi county. They say they aim to expand the service to contain land information from all other counties in Kenya.Online Banking Service
KCB online banking services I signed up for online banking with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), KCB Bank and I &M Bank owing to the fact that I have an account with the banks.
My experience with their online banking services was satisfying. I was very happy with each one of them.They embrace 2 factor authentication which is a good practice when it comes to safety online.
With the introduction of online banking in Kenya, customers now have an additional option of transacting money from their bank accounts when other options fails or are not available.From transacting over the bank counter, using mobile short codes, debit and credit cards and bank mobile apps; one is not limited on how they can transact.
Conclusion
Technology is proving to be the effective in many sectors of the economy in Kenya.
Being able access many of these services online anywhere across Kenya is a good thing. This is the way to go for many small and big companies/businesses.And that is it from me on the 8 Top Sites and Apps I Used Most in 2021.
If you need help to create video reviews for websites, apps or software’s, you can request a free quote on www.techtubestudio.com.
Until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow on twitter on @cheptiony.
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Top 10 Things That You Can Do On KRA iTax Portal That Many Don’t Know
There are many things that you can do on Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) iTax portal that will save you time and money which you could have spent visiting KRA offices for assistance. Being a regular user of the iTax portal, I must applaud the team at KRA for making all their online services user friendly.
While many Kenyan business persons and individuals are still coming into terms with different tax rates levied on goods and services, its our hope that the laws governing tax collection in Kenya will prevail.
Among the many taxes levied in Kenya include Value Added Tax(VAT) for businesses, Income Tax, Pay As You Earn Tax, Turn Over Tax and Digital Service Tax (DST). You can learn more about various taxes here.
In this blogpost, I will share with you top 10 on demand services that you can easily access on the KRA iTax portal.
To access the iTax portal go to www.itax.kra.go.ke.
#1 New PIN Registration
Every Kenyan Adult is eligible to apply for a KRA PIN. Today, most institutions like bank, land registry and Attorney General will require people seeking their services to submit a copy of their PIN number in order to be assisted.
You can apply for a personal and Business PIN number on iTax Portal. You will be required to submit a copy of your national ID for processing of your Personal PIN application. For business PIN applications, you need to apply with a copy of your company registration certificate, copies of director(s) national ID’s and a stamped letter of resolution signed by director(s) requesting for a PIN.
Applying for New KRA PIN Click on new PIN registration link to proceed. Follow the screen prompts to complete your application.
#2 PIN Checker
In many Kenyan government institutions today, they require citizens to give out their KRA PIN number in order to be assisted. The PIN Checker allows anyone to confirm whether a KRA PIN is genuine. A genuine PIN is generated by the KRA – Domestic Taxes Department System and is in Active status. The Information provided by the PIN Checker is limited to basic details of the taxpayer.
Check if a KRA PIN is valid on iTax Click on the link under PIN checker and enter the PIN number you want to verify. Solve the security stamp question and click consult. It will bring up the tax payers PIN information.
#3 TCC/Exemption/Excise License Checker
This is a verification option to confirm validity of a Tax Compliance Certificate, Exemption Certificate or Excise License. Clicking the link on iTax site will take you to a page where you will be required to select the type of certificate you want to verify then enter the certificate or license number.
TCC/Exemption/Excise License Checker on iTax Solve the security stamp and click verify. The system will generate and display PIN, name of the holder and certificate or license status.
#4 Withholding Tax Certificate (WHT) Checker
When you do business with government or a company and they withhold a portion of the tax you charged them, you will be issued with a Withholding Tax certificate by KRA the moment the company files returns. The withholding certificate checker helps one verify the certificate at hand.
Withholding Tax Certificate (WHT) Checker on iTax To Check if a certificate is valid, Click on WHT checker and then select the type of obligation, withholder PIN, payee PIN, withholding certificate number and date of the certificate to verify.
#5 E-Amendment
If you changed your phone number, physical address or e-mail address from the one(s) that you used while applying for your KRA PIN, e-Amendments link will help you request for changes. Click on it and follow the screen prompts to make the changes. It’s good to provide your active contact details in order to be assisted each time you contact KRA.
KRA Tax E-Amendment When an amendment requests is approved, you will be issued with a new PIN certificate to reflect the changes.
#6 e-Cancellation
e-Cancellation option allows taxpayers to apply for removal of a tax obligation from their PIN. They can also apply for cancellation of their PIN all together. You will need to have a valid reason for your decision accompanied by supporting documents in order for your request to be granted.
KRA Tax e-Cancellation #7 e-Domance
e-Domance is a feature where a taxpayer applies for their PIN or Tax obligation to be made dormant for a given period of time. It is mainly targeting Kenyans who plan to travel abroad to study or work.
KRA Tax e-Domance One can also use the feature to pause a business Tax obligation in case they want to take a break from their operations for a given period of time.
#8 e-Return
e-Return is a popular feature that is used by many Kenyan business people every month to file VAT returns. It is also used by individuals to file their annual Income tax.
KRA Tax e-return Just click on it and follow to the screen prompts to file your returns. If you are new to filling returns, contact KRA help centre for guide on how to do it.
#9 Payment Registration
Before making any tax payment, you have to first generate a Tax invoice. That’s the purpose of the payment registration feature. When a Tax invoice is generated, you will use the invoice number to make the tax payment through Mpesa.
KRA Tax Payment Registration Your payment will be reflected on the iTax portal once it’s processed. This usually takes minutes when payment is made through Mpesa mobile gateway.
#10 Tax Compliance Certificate
This document is mostly required on special occasions to confirm that you are a loyal taxpayer and have not defaulted from paying your taxes on time. You can request for a tax compliance certificate on the iTax portal by hovering your mouse to certificates and selecting ‘Apply for Tax Compliance Certificate.‘ You will be take to a page where you just need to give a reason for your request and click on submit.
KRA Tax Compliance Certificate Bonus
Agent Checker
With continued sensitization on the importance of being Tax compliant going on across the country, more and more fraudulent persons posing as KRA staff are threatening the existence of businesses in various towns and cities across Kenya.
Agent Checker on KRA webste In order to stay safe from the fraudsters, it’s necessary to verify Identities of anyone posing as KRA staff. Good news is, you can verify it here.
The link will open a page where you will be required to enter the staff ID and your phone number and then click search.
Conclusion
These are 10 among the many services that you can access on the KRA iTax portal online. Learning to do most of the things related to your tax PIN is very important. You can outsource the ones linked to your business to a professional tax consultant.
The knowledge you gain from using the iTax portal will help avoid any unnecessary penalties originating from late filing of your returns.
What service do you use most on iTax portal? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments sections below.
And if you need help with screencast video production services you can request a free quote here.
Until next time, bye bye and take care.
Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.