Practical guide – Kenya eTIMS
How to integrate your ERP with KRA eTIMS
To integrate an ERP with KRA eTIMS, you connect your invoicing or ERP system to KRA’s eTIMS API through one of KRA’s two system-to-system routes: the Online Sales Control Unit (OSCU), for invoicing that is always online, or the Virtual Sales Control Unit (VSCU), for bulk invoicing or systems that are not always online. KRA says each integration is developed, tested in the KRA sandbox, vetted and certified, either by a taxpayer who self-integrates or by a KRA-verified third-party integrator. In practice, businesses get it done in one of three ways: their ERP vendor’s eTIMS add-on, a third-party integrator on KRA’s published list, or an in-house build.
Sources checked: 11 November 2026 (KRA approved eTIMS 3rd-party integrators list, 26 January 2026 PDF).
To integrate an ERP with KRA eTIMS, businesses choose between an OSCU device or the VSCU software route, complete sandbox testing with KRA, and transmit invoice data for cryptographic signing. VisionONE provides eTIMS-ready sales records and works alongside approved KRA integrators to complete your setup during demo and deployment.
Step by step: integrating an ERP with eTIMS
- List where you invoice: ERP, branches, POS, billing systems, and roughly how many invoices and credit notes each one issues.
- Choose the route with your integrator: KRA describes OSCU for always-online invoicing and VSCU for bulk invoicing or systems that are not always online.
- Prepare your data: item codes and tax categories, customer PINs, branches and credit-note rules.
- Build and test in the KRA sandbox, including credit notes, rejected invoices and connectivity interruptions.
- Complete KRA vetting and certification for the integration, through self-integration or a KRA-verified third-party integrator.
- Go live, then reconcile each invoice and its eTIMS response with your ledger and VAT records every month.
Which vendors can integrate an ERP with eTIMS?
| Route | Who does the work | How to check them |
|---|---|---|
| Your ERP vendor’s eTIMS add-on | The company that supplies your ERP | Ask which integration route is used, who is responsible for KRA certification, and how rejected invoices are handled |
| A KRA-approved third-party integrator | A software firm on KRA’s published list of approved eTIMS system-to-system integrators | Check the firm, product and version on the latest list published on kra.go.ke |
| Self-integration | Your own IT team | Follow KRA’s specification documents and sandbox process, and complete KRA certification |
Where VisionONE fits
VisionONE is an ERP vendor. It is not a KRA-approved third-party eTIMS integrator, and it does not claim KRA certification. If you run VisionONE ERP, eTIMS integration for the invoices you raise in VisionONE is offered as an add-on, with submission responses, credit notes and exceptions kept alongside the ERP records. The integration approach, testing plan and support scope are confirmed in your proposal, and our Nairobi team at ASP Building, Embakasi Road handles implementation and support.
Questions to ask any eTIMS vendor
- Which KRA route does the integration use, and which product and version?
- Who is responsible for sandbox testing and KRA certification?
- What dated evidence shows the integrator’s status on the current KRA list? Taxpayer onboarding alone is not vendor certification.
- How are credit notes, rejected invoices and connectivity gaps handled?
- How are invoices and eTIMS responses reconciled with the ledger and VAT records?
FAQ
How do I integrate my ERP with KRA eTIMS?
Connect the ERP to KRA’s eTIMS API through a system-to-system route (OSCU or VSCU), test it in the KRA sandbox, and complete KRA vetting and certification, either as a self-integrator or with a KRA-verified third-party integrator. Then go live and reconcile each invoice and its eTIMS response with your ledger.
Which vendors can integrate an ERP with KRA eTIMS?
KRA publishes a list of approved third-party system-to-system integrators on kra.go.ke; check the firm, product and version against the latest list. Many ERP vendors also offer an eTIMS add-on for their own software. VisionONE offers eTIMS integration as an add-on for VisionONE ERP, but VisionONE is not a KRA-approved third-party integrator.
What is the difference between OSCU and VSCU?
KRA describes OSCU for invoicing systems that are always online, and VSCU for taxpayers doing bulk invoicing or using systems that are not always online. This guide does not claim that VisionONE supports OSCU, VSCU or both.
Is VisionONE a KRA-approved eTIMS integrator?
No. VisionONE is an ERP vendor and offers eTIMS integration for VisionONE ERP as an add-on. It is not on KRA’s list of approved third-party integrators and does not claim KRA certification.
Is registering on eTIMS the same as vendor certification?
No. Taxpayer onboarding on eTIMS is separate from KRA’s certification of a system-to-system integration or a third-party integrator.