The Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS has reiterated the importance of tax to growth and development at a sensitisation and awareness workshop held for Alaba/Badagry tax jurisdiction and environs.
The programme organised by The Alaba Micro and Small Tax Office of the FIRS aimed to promote voluntary tax compliance, necessary for the optimization of tax revenue collection in the environment.
Speaking, Executive Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami stressed that the minimum that is required of citizens is to pay their taxes promptly and correctly.
He noted that the workshop, themed, “Tax Payers Education: Voluntary Compliance for Improved Revenue Generation”, was apt to enlighten the public on topical issues on taxation and further intimate them on the roles of the service.
He said, “Taxes are legal and civic obligations of citizens and paying such enables one to be a contributor to national development.
“Last year, FIRS collected N6.4 trillion, the highest in the history of tax collection in Nigeria. As of July 2022, we collected N5.2 trillion and we are on course to surpass the collections of 2021. We thus need your support and cooperation in this regard, without this we won’t be able to reach the heights that we intend to, and this will impact on the amount of revenue available to governments at all levels to finance their budgetary provisions.”
On her part, Tax controller of Alaba Micro and Small Tax Office, Cecilia Odibo: “It is no longer news that oil and gas revenue has dwindled and the most reliable source of revenue is now from taxation of non-oil sectors. We should thus focus on how we can play our part to generate non-oil revenues that will sustain the economy.”
Group Lead, General Tax Operations Group, FIRS, Kabbi Abba told attendees not to be ignorant of their rights and obligations as taxpayers.
He said, “Taxpayers have a right to seek for clarification on any tax laws from revenue agency, they are not expected to pay more than is required by the tax laws and their incomes and they have the right to be issued tax clearance certificate upon settlement of all tax liabilities within two weeks of application or be given reasons for non-issuance.
“Moreso, taxpayer is under obligation to charge, deduct, collect and remit VAT, WHT, and PAYE as an entity or institution with agency role under the tax laws. They are under obligation to pay their tax without being reminded, coerced or prompted, on or before the due dates. For any taxpayer, voluntary disclosure is critical.”
