Google to Deduct 5% Withholding Tax from Kenyan YouTubers Starting September

Google will begin automatically deducting a 5 percent withholding tax from the YouTube earnings of Kenyan content creators, starting with September 2026 revenue that will be paid out in October, bringing the platform in line with Kenya's tax rules for digital income.

According to a notification sent to creators on August 28 and reported by Kenyans.co.ke, Google confirmed that each month it will withhold 5 percent Kenyan tax on finalized YouTube earnings, in addition to any applicable U.S. taxes already deducted from creator payouts.

What Creators Must Do

Creators monetizing through AdSense for YouTube are required to submit their 11-character Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Personal Identification Number by October 1, 2026. According to The Kenya Times, the PIN must be entered in capital letters without hyphens, with individual PINs beginning with the letter "A" and entity PINs beginning with "P," submitted through the tax information section of a creator's AdSense account.

Creators who fail to verify their PIN by the deadline will have their payouts temporarily held until the information is updated and approved. Google will also report each creator's gross payments, the amount withheld, their PIN, and address to the KRA on a monthly basis.

Example: A creator with Ksh100,000 in finalized monthly YouTube earnings would have Ksh5,000 withheld as Kenyan tax, leaving Ksh95,000 before any further deductions.

Part of a Wider Digital Tax Push

The move builds on Kenya's existing digital content monetization withholding framework, introduced under the Finance Act 2023, which set a 5 percent rate for resident creators and 20 percent for non-residents. YouTube joins other major platforms tightening tax compliance for Kenyan creators amid growing scrutiny of the country's digital economy.

The announcement has stirred frustration among some creators, several of whom argue that the deduction arrives without corresponding government support for the local digital content industry, including relief on data costs or equipment imports.