Google to withhold 5% tax from Kenyan YouTube creators

Google has announced that YouTube creators based in Kenya will be subject to a 5% withholding tax on finalized monthly earnings. This requirement follows the Kenya Income Tax Act regarding the monetization of digital content.

To comply, creators must submit and verify their 11-character Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Personal Identification Number (PIN) through the tax information section of their AdSense for YouTube account. The deadline for submission is October 1, 2026. Failure to provide a verified PIN may result in YouTube withholding payments, though earnings will continue to accrue.

The new withholding mechanism is scheduled to first apply to earnings generated in September 2026 and paid out in October 2026. This 5% Kenyan tax will be applied alongside any applicable United States taxes. While some social media discussions have characterized the combined deductions as a 35% tax, the Kenyan 5% deduction is a separate mechanism from existing U.S. tax withholding on revenue from American viewers.