Preparing for the Era of eTIMS: A Crucial Guide If You Have or Are Building a POS Solution
The digital transformation of tax compliance is here. The Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) represents a major shift that affects virtually every business in Kenya, including the Point-of-Sale (POS) systems that serve them.
For POS providers, this is not just a compliance hurdle, it’s an opportunity. By integrating eTIMS directly into your solution, you can transform a complex mandate into a seamless, value-added service for your clients. Partnering with a proven API-based integrator like DigiTax allows you to offer effortless compliance, automated invoicing, and reduced operational costs from one unified platform.
Here are the most commonly asked questions from POS providers like you, looking to navigate and capitalize on the eTIMS transition.
Commonly Asked Questions by POS Providers
1. What exactly is eTIMS and why does it matter to my POS system?
eTIMS (electronic Tax Invoice Management System) is a KRA initiative requiring all businesses to generate and transmit electronic tax invoices to KRA in real-time.
Why it matters: If your clients use your POS solution to process sales, your system is the primary point of invoice creation. To be compliant, your POS must be able to generate KRA-validated electronic tax invoices. Without integration, your clients face the cumbersome task of processing every invoice manually through a separate eTIMS integrated system.
2. What are the KRA-approved methods for POS systems to integrate with eTIMS?
“System to System” integration methods, are available, which are ideal for POS providers:
OSCU (Online Sales Control Unit): Perfect for cloud-based POS systems that are always online. It facilitates real-time, system-to-system integration.
VSCU (Virtual Sales Control Unit): Suitable for systems that handle high volumes or may not always have a stable internet connection.
DigiTax APIs for example support system to system integration as well as an Android APP that is POS enabled. Download on PlayStore or view the public API documentation.
3. Why should I integrate via a third-party API provider like DigiTax instead of self-integrating?
Self-integration is technically demanding and requires continuous management of evolving technical specifications. A certified third-party integrator like DigiTax offers key advantages:
Speed to Market: You can deploy an eTIMS-compliant solution much faster using a pre-built, tested API.
Reduced Development Cost: Avoid the complexity and ongoing expense of building and maintaining a direct connection to the eTIMS system.
Simplified Compliance: The API handles the intricate real-time communication, data mapping, and security requirements, letting you focus on your core POS features.
Future-Proofing: Integrators handle updates and changes to eTIMS rules, ensuring your POS remains compliant without further development work on your end.
4. What specific benefits will integration bring to my POS customers (SMEs)?
Integration turns compliance from a burden into a benefit for your users:
Effortless Compliance: Invoices are transmitted automatically in the background as sales are made.
Reduced Operational Costs: Eliminates the need for traditional ETR hardware devices and the associated maintenance.
Streamlined Processes: All business operations (sales, inventory, invoicing) occur within one unified POS platform, removing double-entry and saving significant time.
Accurate Record Keeping: Real-time validation and transmission ensure all records are audit-ready, providing peace of mind.
5. Can an API-based integration support my customers who operate multiple branches or tills?
Yes. The system-to-system solutions ) enabled by the DigiTax API are scalable and designed to support businesses with single or multiple tills and branches, centralizing compliance management for large and growing operations.
Hear the Success Story: Uzapoint POS and DigiTax
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from a partner who has successfully navigated this process and is now using eTIMS compliance as a major differentiator.
For one of our partners, Uzapoint, empowering SMEs to run smarter through automation has always been the goal. By integrating eTIMS into their POS through DigiTax’s APIs, that mission now includes effortless compliance and automated invoicing from one unified platform.
This integration has helped them serve their customers better by reducing compliance costs, streamlining clients’ business processes, and offering eTIMS as a value-added service to attract more customers.
Click below to hear from Uzapoint on their experience and how, with DigiTax, their mission to simplify SME operations is reaching new heights.
The era of eTIMS is a chance to upgrade your POS offering and attract more customers by simplifying their lives.
Connect with our team today to see a live demo of the DigiTax API and learn how you could turn compliance into a competitive advantage.
Email info@namiri.tech/ contact our support line at 0112685368.
