How to choose accounting software in Kenya
In Kenya, eTIMS decides the shortlist. Here is how to test it, then everything else that matters.
Written by Accounting Software Africa editorial Reviewed by Accounting Software Africa editorial, Publisher editorial desk. Tax figures are cited to the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. Assign a named ICAN reviewer in this field before treating a page as a signed professional opinion.
Last updated 28 Oct 2026
How to test eTIMS in a software trial
Do these with real data before you pay.
Transmit a real sales invoice
It should return KRA control details and a QR code on the printed or PDF invoice.
Issue a credit note against it
Credit notes must reference the original eTIMS invoice. Many integrations fail here.
Break the connection
Turn off the internet or use an invalid PIN and see how failures are shown and retried.
Record a supplier bill with its eTIMS number
Since 2026 KRA checks your expenses against suppliers’ eTIMS data; the field should exist and be reportable.
Reconcile a month of M-Pesa
Import a real Paybill or Till statement and match it to invoices.
OSCU or VSCU — which do you need?
OSCU (Online Sales Control Unit) transmits each invoice online in real time and suits most SMEs. VSCU (Virtual Sales Control Unit) is for system-to-system integration at high volume — supermarkets, distributors, ERP users. Your software vendor or partner should tell you which they use and show KRA approval.
Why do purchases matter now?
From 1 January 2026 KRA validates income and expenses in tax returns against eTIMS. A supplier invoice that never went through eTIMS can lose you the deduction, so accounts payable must capture and check suppliers’ eTIMS invoice numbers.
Which accounting software is best for a small business in Kenya?
Zoho Books for most VAT-registered SMEs; TallyPrime for stock-heavy traders; QuickBooks only if your accountant insists, with a connector.
When does a Kenyan business need ERP?
Multi-branch stock, purchase approvals, and VSCU-scale invoice volumes. Business Central, SAP Business One and Odoo all have Nairobi partners; choose the partner with Kenyan eTIMS references.
What about payroll?
Run Kenyan payroll (PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, Housing Levy) in a dedicated payroll — PaySpace, Workpay or an ERP payroll localisation — and post a journal.
Questions about choosing software in Kenya
Is eTIMS mandatory for all businesses?
eTIMS applies to all businesses, VAT-registered or not; non-VAT-registered businesses can use the eTIMS portal or app. The 2026 validation of expenses makes supplier eTIMS invoices important for everyone claiming deductions.
Can I use Excel and the eTIMS portal instead of software?
For very small volumes, yes — but you lose bank reconciliation, payables tracking and reporting, and keying the same invoice twice causes errors.
Kenya profiles
- Zoho Books in Kenya
eTIMS built in.
- TallyPrime in Kenya
One-time licence.
- Business Central in Kenya
ERP step.
- PaySpace in Kenya
Payroll.
Sources
- Zoho Books Kenya — eTIMS 28 Oct 2026
- TallyPrime — eTIMS 28 Oct 2026
- KPMG Kenya — eTIMS 28 Oct 2026
- eTIMS income and expense validation 28 Oct 2026
Related in Kenya
- Business Central is a strong Kenyan mid-market ERP for distributors, manufacturers and NGOs, with several Nairobi partners offering eTIMS (VSCU-style system integration) and Kenyan payroll extensions. Budget about KSh 10,393–14,290 per full user per month at list plus implementation.
- QuickBooks Online is still widely used by Kenyan accounting firms, but in 2026 it carries an eTIMS tax: Intuit does not ship a KRA integration, so you need a third-party connector, and you pay in dollars. For a new Kenyan SME, Zoho Books is cheaper and eTIMS-ready; QuickBooks makes sense when your accountant’s practice runs on it.
- Kenya has one of the deepest SAP Business One partner benches in Africa, which makes B1 a credible ERP for Nairobi distributors, manufacturers and regional groups expanding into Uganda and Tanzania. Pricing is partner-quoted; eTIMS integration is a partner deliverable you should see working at another customer.
- Odoo is the most flexible ERP route for Kenyan SMEs that want accounting, inventory, POS, CRM and payroll in one system. A Kenyan payroll localisation exists in Odoo’s app store, and Nairobi partners ship eTIMS connectors. Quality depends heavily on the partner, and per-user pricing is regionalised — get the shilling quote.
- Tyms suits Kenyan founders and accounting firms who need books caught up and kept current from bank and M-Pesa statements, at $200 per seat per year (about KSh 25,982). It is not an eTIMS integrator, so VAT-registered businesses still need eTIMS invoicing elsewhere — Zoho Books beats Tyms on that for most Kenyan SMEs. Tyms Inc. publishes this site.
- Zoho Books is the best default for Kenyan SMEs in 2026: shilling pricing from KSh 849 a month billed annually, eTIMS transmission on every paid plan as a KRA-approved OSCU integrator, VAT3 return reports, and a direct M-Pesa integration in the Kenya edition. Prices exclude VAT; growing teams hit the user caps before the feature caps.
- PaySpace, now Deel Local Payroll, is a strong choice for Kenyan employers that want a cloud payroll engine maintained for 2026 rules — PAYE, NSSF with the KSh 6,480 cap, SHIF at 2.75% and the Housing Levy — especially groups also paying staff in other African countries. Pricing is by quote.
- TallyPrime is the strongest option in Kenya for inventory-heavy traders who want to own a licence rather than rent software: KSh 57,600 for Silver or KSh 172,800 for multi-user Gold, excluding VAT, with direct eTIMS integration, QR codes and eTIMS status reports. It is desktop software, so remote teams need hosting.