globaltaxnews.ey.comSign up for tax alert emailsPrintDownload

18 December 2019

Kenyan employers requested by Higher Education Loans Board to register on its online portal by 31 December 2019

Executive summary

The Kenyan Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) provides financing through loans, scholarships and bursaries to Kenyans pursuing higher education within and outside Kenya. HELB has recently issued a communique to employers requesting them to register and update their details on its online portal by 31 December 2019.

This is will enable employers to file monthly returns, generate payment slips, and access details of HELB beneficiaries, among other services.

Detailed discussion

Employers are required to notify HELB whenever they recruit a beneficiary of HELB loans. They are then required to deduct and remit loan repayments monthly. These processes have been manual, and employers were required to physically or via e-mail submit the returns and proof of payments to HELB.

In an effort to provide an efficient way for employers to file monthly returns, HELB has revamped its website by adding an employers’ portal through which returns will be submitted and payment slips generated for onward payment through selected bank accounts.

Employers are required to register on this online portal by 31 December 2019. Manual submissions will no longer be accepted by HELB after this date.

In summary, the portal will enable employers to;

  1. Identify HELB beneficiaries, outstanding loan balances and the required monthly loan repayments. Once they register on the portal, employers are required to download, populate and upload a coded csv file with a list of all their employees. A list of all loan beneficiaries and outstanding loan balances will then be generated automatically.
  2. Update beneficiaries’ accounts after making loan repayments. Monthly, employers will be required to download a csv file and accurately populate it. They will then generate a payment slip with a payment reference number which they will be required to quote when paying to ensure seamless allocation of payments to the respective beneficiaries’ loan accounts.
  3. Access their past periods payment history and records.
  4. Apply and access a compliance certificate. Compliance will be evaluated on the employers’ compliance history in relation to deducting and remitting loan deductions on time.

Next steps

Employers should register on the online portal via HELB’s website and update their details accordingly by the deadline of 31 December.

For additional information with respect to this Alert, please contact the following:

Ernst & Young (Kenya), Nairobi
Ernst & Young Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd., Africa ITTS Leader, Johannesburg
Ernst & Young LLP (United Kingdom), Pan African Tax Desk, London
Ernst & Young LLP (United States), Pan African Tax Desk, New York

ATTACHMENT

Document ID: 2019-6609

 
 

The information contained herein is general in nature and is not intended, and should not be construed, as legal, accounting or tax advice or opinion provided by Ernst & Young LLP to the reader. The reader also is cautioned that this material may not be applicable to, or suitable for, the reader's specific circumstances or needs, and may require consideration of non-tax and other tax factors if any action is to be contemplated. The reader should contact his or her Ernst & Young LLP or other tax professional prior to taking any action based upon this information. Ernst & Young LLP assumes no obligation to inform the reader of any changes in tax laws or other factors that could affect the information contained herein.

 

Copyright © 2025, Ernst & Young LLP.

 

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, retransmitted or otherwise redistributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including by photocopying, facsimile transmission, recording, rekeying, or using any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Ernst & Young LLP.

 

Any U.S. tax advice contained herein was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by the recipient for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state or local tax law provisions.

 

"EY" refers to the global organisation, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

 

Privacy  |  Cookies  |  BCR  |  Legal  |  Global Code of Conduct Opt out of all email from EY Global Limited.

 


Cookie Settings

This site uses cookies to provide you with a personalized browsing experience and allows us to understand more about you. More information on the cookies we use can be found here. By clicking 'Yes, I accept' you agree and consent to our use of cookies. More information on what these cookies are and how we use them, including how you can manage them, is outlined in our Privacy Notice. Please note that your decision to decline the use of cookies is limited to this site only, and not in relation to other EY sites or ey.com. Please refer to the privacy notice/policy on these sites for more information.


Yes, I accept         Find out more