← TemplatesKRA & statutory

Free VAT Return (VAT-3) Prep Template (Excel) for Kenya

Preparing a VAT-3 comes down to one sum: the VAT you charged on sales minus the VAT you paid on purchases. This free template does it cleanly — log your sales and purchases with their VAT type, and it totals your output VAT, your input VAT, and the VAT payable to KRA (or a credit to carry forward).

Download free — Excel (.xlsx) ↓Opens in Excel or Google Sheets · no sign-up

What's inside

Standard (16%), Zero-rated and Exempt handled per line
Output VAT and input VAT totalled automatically
Net VAT payable to KRA — or credit to carry forward
Captures customer & supplier PINs
VAT rate isolated on an editable Rates tab

The tabs

Start Here (guide)
Rates
Sales (output VAT)
Purchases (input VAT)
Dashboard

Yellow cells only. You type in the yellow cells; the rest are locked formulas. Gridlines are off and it prints clean on A4.

Each line lets you mark the supply as Standard (16%), Zero-rated or Exempt, so your return reflects reality — not everything is standard-rated. The VAT rate sits on a Rates tab, so a rate change is one edit. The Dashboard gives you the four figures a VAT-3 needs: total taxable sales, output VAT, total taxable purchases and input VAT — then the net VAT payable, with a note telling you whether to pay KRA or carry a credit forward.

It captures customer and supplier PINs alongside the values, the detail KRA expects. Opens in Excel or Google Sheets. Always confirm the current VAT rate at kra.go.ke before filing.

Need to raise the VAT invoices behind these sales? Our free invoice tool produces eTIMS-ready invoices in your browser.

Do it online instead

Make eTIMS-ready VAT invoices — free

Open the free tool →

Frequently asked questions

How is VAT payable worked out?

VAT payable = output VAT (the 16% you charged on standard-rated sales) minus input VAT (the VAT you paid on purchases). If input exceeds output, you carry the credit forward. The dashboard shows which applies.

Does it handle zero-rated and exempt supplies?

Yes. Each line has a VAT type — Standard (16%), Zero-rated or Exempt — so only standard-rated supplies attract 16%, and your totals reflect your actual mix.

Is this the official KRA VAT-3 form?

No — it's a preparation workbook that gives you the exact figures to enter on the KRA iTax VAT-3 return. It doesn't file for you, but it makes filing quick and accurate.

Professional Invoice (VAT) →Turnover Tax (ToT) Estimator →Invoice Generator (free tool) →All templates →