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Section 52

Returns of income and notice of chargeability

(1)
The Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require a person to furnish him within a reasonable time, not being less than thirty days from the date of service of the notice, with a return of income for any year of income containing a full and true statement of the income of that person, including income deemed to be his under this Act, liable to tax and of those particulars that may be required for the purposes of this Act; and that return shall include a declaration signed by that person, or by the person in whose name he is assessable , that the return is a full and true statement; but where a person carrying on a business has made a provisional return of income, the return of income under this subsection may be made within a period not exceeding nine months from the date to which he makes up the accounts of that business.

(2)
In the case of the executors or administrators of a deceased person, or of the liquidator of resident company, or of a bankrupt, or of a person whom the Commissioner has reason to believe is about to leave Kenya, the Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require him to furnish a return of income at any time whether before or after the end of the year of income to which that return relates.

(3)
A person chargeable to tax for a year of income who -
  • (a) within four months after the end of that year of income; or
  • (b) being a person carrying on a business the accounting period for which ends on some day other than 31st December in that year of income, has not made a provisional return of income for that year of income within four months of the end of that accounting period, has not been required to make a return of income for that year of income under subsection (1) shall, within fourteen days after the expiration of the period of four months, give notice in writing to the Commissioner that he is so chargeable:
Provided that an employee shall not be required to give notice -
  • (i) if he had no income chargeable to tax for that year of income other than from emoluments; and
  • (ii) if the tax payable in respect of those emoluments has been recovered by deduction under section 37.
(4)
Where a business is carried on by two or more persons in partnership, the Commissioner may, by notice in writing, require the precedent resident partner, that is the partner who, of the resident partners -
  • (a) is first named in the agreement of partnership; or
  • (b) if there be no agreement, is specified by name or initials singly, or with precedence to the other partners, in the usual name of the partnership; or
  • (c) is first named in any statement required for the purposes of registration of the business under any law of Kenya; or
  • (d) is the precedent resident active partner if the partner named with precedence is not an active partner,
to furnish him within a reasonable time, not being less than thirty days from the date of service of the notice, with a return of income of the partnership, ascertained under this Act as if the partnership were a person liable to tax, for any year of income prior to that in which the notice is served containing a full and true statement of the income and of such particulars as may be required for the purposes of this Act, including the names and addresses of the partners together with the amount of the share of the income to which each partner was entitled for that year of income.

(52A)
Return of income and notice of chargeability/Installment Returns* (repealed)

(Repealed by 8 of 1996, s.40).

(52B)
-Final Return with Self assessment.

(1)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act –
  • (a) every individual chargeable to tax under this Act shall for any year of income commencing with the year of income 1992, furnish to the Commissioner a return of income, including a self assessment of his tax from all sources of income, not later than the last day of the sixth month following the end of his year of income; and
  • (b) every person, other than an individual chargeable to tax under the Act, shall for any accounting period commencing on or after 1st January, 1992 furnish to the Commissioner a return of income, including a self-assessment of his tax on such income, not later than the last day of the sixth month following the end of his accounting period;
Provided that an employee shall not be required to furnish to the Commissioner such a return of income
(i) if he had no income chargeable to tax for that year of income other than from emoluments; and
(ii) if the tax payable in respect of those emoluments has been recovered by deduction under section 37. Finance Act 2012 09 June 2011 Finance Act 2012 Effective 01 July 2013 Proviso deleted

(2)
The return of income together with the declared self- assessment of tax on the declared income, shall be prepared on such a form or forms as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner.

(3)
The declared self-assessment shall be calculated by reference to the appropriate relief and rates of tax in force for the year of income.

(4*)
Every company liable to tax under this Act, shall also include with the self-assessment and return of income an assessment and return of any compensating tax due with respect to such tax year and the compensating tax so calculated shall be payable at the due date for the self-assessment.
Every company liable to tax under this Act shall also include with the self-assessment and return of income, an assessment and return of any dividend distributed out of untaxed gains or profits due with respect to such tax year and the tax so calculated shall be payable at the due date for the self-assessment. Amended by (FA 2025-wef 1st July-2025 S21*).

(5)
The Commissioner may, where he considers appropriate, send to any person to whom this section applies in respect of any year of income a form or forms to enable that person to furnish the required return; and failure by the Commissioner to send the return form or forms shall not affect the obligation of that person to furnish the required return by the date specified in this section. Deleted by (FA 2025-wef 1st July-2025 S21).

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