eTIMS invoices from your accounting software, not the KRA portal
Zoho Books is KRA-approved eTIMS software. Every invoice you raise goes to KRA with one click and comes back with its QR code — no retyping on the portal, no ETR. We set it up, connect it to KRA and test it with you.
- OSCU connection to KRA
- VAT and non-VAT businesses
- From KES 849/month before VAT
Tax invoice
INV-000214
- Consulting services
- KES 50,000
- VAT 16%
- KES 8,000
- Total
- KES 58,000
SCU information
Printed with the QR code at the foot of every pushed invoice PDF.
Zoho Books sends more than invoices
eTIMS needs your items, customers, users, purchases and stock as well as your sales. Zoho Books pushes each of them, and shows every record as Pushed, Yet to be Pushed or Failed, so nothing goes missing quietly.
Sales invoices
Sent with Push to eTIMS; pushed invoices print SCU information and a QR code.
Purchase bills
KRA requires purchases to be reported, so bills are pushed too — including for non-VAT-registered businesses.
Items
Each item goes to eTIMS before you can sell it, with its product type, packaging unit, item classification code and origin country.
Customers
Customers are pushed with their branch code.
Users
Users you invite to Zoho Books are pushed to eTIMS from the user settings.
End-of-day stock
Inventory changes go to KRA at a stock update time you choose.
Transfer orders between branches and composite items also go to eTIMS when Zoho Inventory is connected. Source: Zoho Books eTIMS help.
Six steps from sign-up to your first eTIMS invoice
Most failed pushes come from a setting made in the first hour. These are the ones Zoho's own troubleshooting guide lists — we check every one before you go live:
- Service request type is not OSCU
- KRA branch ID and serial number don't match the Zoho Books location code and device serial
- The KRA location is not the primary location in Zoho Books
- A unit has no UQC (unique quantity code)
- Item SKU longer than 20 characters
- Bill numbers with letters, or longer than 20 characters
- Next receipt number not set in the e-invoice number series
- 1
Generate a device serial number
In Zoho Books, under Settings › e-Invoicing, one serial number per branch.
- 2
Get the integration token
Zoho Books support issues it against your KRA PIN and device serial number.
- 3
Submit the KRA service request
On the eTIMS taxpayer portal, request an eTIMS solution of type OSCU and enter the serial number and token.
- 4
Wait for KRA's SMS
Zoho says it arrives within 24 hours of KRA processing the request.
- 5
Connect the branch
Add your VAT registration number in Zoho Books, pick the stock update time and click Connect Now.
- 6
Push masters, then transactions
Items, customers and users first; then invoices and bills. We test a live invoice end to end before you go live.
eTIMS is included from the Standard plan
Zoho's published Kenya prices per organisation, before VAT. Each plan includes everything in the one before it; the Free plan does not list eTIMS.
Standard
KES 849 / month, billed annually
KES 999 / month billed monthly
- eTIMS-compliant invoicing
- 3 users included
Professional
KES 1,699 / month, billed annually
KES 1,999 / month billed monthly
- eTIMS-compliant invoicing
- 5 users included
Premium
KES 2,499 / month, billed annually
KES 2,999 / month billed monthly
- eTIMS-compliant invoicing
- 10 users included
Prices from Zoho Books Kenya pricing, checked 19 Oct 2026. Elite and Ultimate plans are also available. Our set-up work is quoted separately before we start.
Tell us how you invoice today
On the KRA portal, an ETR, Excel or QuickBooks? How many branches and how many invoices a month? We'll recommend the plan and quote the set-up.
- Zoho Books set up, connected to KRA and tested on a live invoice
- Items, customers and opening balances moved in from QuickBooks or spreadsheets
- Billed in KES — bank transfer or M-PESA
Get eTIMS set up in Zoho Books
We reply within one working day. Prefer email? [email protected]
Is Zoho Books approved for KRA eTIMS?
Yes. Zoho describes Zoho Books as KRA-approved eTIMS software. It connects to KRA as an OSCU (Online Sales Control Unit) solution, so invoices are sent to eTIMS from inside Zoho Books.
Which Zoho Books plan includes eTIMS?
eTIMS-compliant invoicing is listed from the Standard plan (KES 999 a month billed monthly, or KES 849 a month billed annually), and every higher plan includes everything in Standard. The Free plan does not list eTIMS. Zoho's Kenya prices exclude VAT.
Do businesses that are not VAT-registered need eTIMS?
According to Zoho's eTIMS FAQ, KRA advises all businesses — VAT-registered or not — to onboard to eTIMS. In Zoho Books the invoice push and data fetch work the same way for both.
Does KRA charge for eTIMS?
No. Zoho's eTIMS FAQ notes that KRA's eTIMS software is free; costs come from the software you connect to it — here, your Zoho Books plan and the set-up work.
How do I generate an eTIMS invoice in Zoho Books?
Create the invoice as usual, then choose Push to eTIMS on the invoice. Once KRA accepts it, the status changes to Pushed and the invoice PDF carries the SCU information and a QR code at the bottom. Items, customers and users on the invoice must be pushed to eTIMS first.
How long does the KRA connection take?
After you submit the eTIMS service request on the KRA portal (type OSCU, with your Zoho Books device serial number and integration token), Zoho says KRA confirms by SMS within 24 hours of processing the request.
We already issue invoices on the KRA portal or an ETR. Can we bring that history in?
Yes. Zoho Books can fetch items and purchase bills already on the KRA taxpayer portal and create or match them, and you can mark invoices, credit notes, bills and vendor credits that were submitted earlier as already pushed.
Sources
Zoho and eTIMS facts on this page come from Zoho's Kenya pages, checked 19 Oct 2026:
Still typing invoices into the KRA portal?
Send us one month of invoices. We'll show you what eTIMS from Zoho Books would look like for your business and quote the set-up.