Having an A+ bookkeeper costs more. But not more than KRA.
If you can hire one full time, even better.
If you cannot, outsource.
A good bookkeeper is non negotiable.
You can have a perfectly valid eTIMS invoice and still have KRA reject it.
Why?
Because KRA can ask: Show me the money trail.
This is extremely critical test that KRA applies.
Example.
You have an eTIMS invoice for KSh 1 million from your Supplier.
KRA can ask: Did you actually pay for these goods?
If you paid the supplier, show the bank or M-Pesa payment evidence.
If the supplier gave you credit, shiw the credit agreement or payment terms and record the KSh 1 million as a debt in your books.
If your good buddy paid the supplier directly for you, show:
• Proof that your buddy paid the supplier
• Your agreement with your buddy
• The repayment terms
• The amount recorded as a liability to your buddy
So, here's how you protect yourself.
For every business purchase, make sure these four things tell the same story.
eTIMS invoice → Proof of payment → Agreement/terms → Accounting records.
If you bought on credit, your books should show that you owe the supplier.
If someone paid on your behalf, your books should show that you owe that person.
If you paid directly, your bank or M-Pesa should show the payment.
Don't wait for a KRA audit to start assembling this evidence.
Build the evidence when you make the purchase.
That way, when KRA asks, “Prove this expense,” you don't start looking for documents. You simply open the file.
That's what good bookkeeping is.
When God created us, he didn’t mean for us to start doing accounting, investment banking, adjusting EBITDA, GAAP and IFRS etc. But through our sins, these woes have befallen us.