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FCT-IRS collaborates with NFIU to strengthen Tax Compliance

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The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has entered in to a partnership with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to enhance efficiency in both organisations.
The initiative it said is aimed at expanding the tax net and nudge tax compliance in the territory
The Acting Executive Chairman, FCT- IRS, Mr. Haruna Abdullahi, at a One Day retreat for the staff of the Service and NFIU in Abuja said the partnership could not have come at a better time than now.
The Head, Corporate Communications, FCT-IRS, Mustapha Sumaila in a statement quoted Abdullahi to have indicated that the synergy was coming at the right time because the Service is presently availing itself to all relevant agencies of government and other corporate bodies to broaden the tax base with a view to boost revenue generation.
“FCT has potential, we must do everything possible to harness these opportunities for the territory in terms of revenue collection. Abuja being the capital city, is a place where most important people live, therefore, we must take that advantage.

“States are in a very tight fiscal position right now, monies are not coming as they used to, so there has to be some level of creativity in states and of course Abuja here, to fund so many projects.

“FCT-IRS alone can generate from 200 to 300 and probably 400 billion naira in the near future, and I hope this type of engagement that we are going to have with NFIU, will increase our tax payers and also carry out assessments with adequate information” he stated.

The FCT-IRS boss decried low tax GDP ratio in the country pointing out that Nigeria is among the lowest tax GDP ratio in Africa at 6 per cent whereas, the average in Africa is 18 per cent
based on OECD revenue statistics report in Africa 2021 and he however described the development as unfortunate.

While emphasising on the importance of Information, Abdullahi said the Service has started various reforms and initiatives to hold people accountable to file their tax returns and to pay what is appropriate in terms of what they need to pay as tax.

In his remarks, Mr. Babagana Bashir, Associate Director, NFIU who was represented by Mr. Felix Obiamalu expressed delight over the mutually beneficial collaboration due to some similar features which both organisations have in common. He reiterated that, the FCT-IRS being a state IRS for the nation’s capital, already placed the Service at an advantageous position which must be leveraged on.

Bashir pledged to support the FCT-IRS in any way possible to enhance its operations with a view to significantly increase revenue collection in the territory.

“Interestingly, this is the first time NFIU is having an engagement with a state revenue collector, so FCT-IRS being a state IRS for FCT that has a dual capacity of a state and then federal, so you have taken the lead for this, you have moved ahead of other states.

“The essence of this retreat principally is to examine the best way to operationalize the content of the MoU with the FCT-IRS. It is just like a marriage between a man and a woman, so when two people come together and agree to move forward there must be coming together of minds first before every other thing follows.

“Now we have come together to execute an MoU what we are doing today is to point out in details and specifics the areas we are going to collaborate and what to expect to come out of the collaboration” he stated.

Both organisations presented detailed papers which outrightly mapped out their mandates, powers and limitations as well as possible ways of strengthening the partnership with the primary goal of enhancing their operations for the betterment of FCT and the country.

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Taxation

FIRS deploys technology to capture market traders to expand VAT collection

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The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has rolled out the implementation of the Integrated Market Revenue Management System (IMRMS), a purpose-built digital platform, to capture the informal sector, especially market traders in the federal government’s tax net.

The FIRS is to collaboration with Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN), the umbrella body for all trading associations in Nigeria, to collect and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) from traders in marketplace, using the IMRMS platform.

The collaboration code named as the VAT Direct Initiative (VDI), is part of a deliberate move to expand the government’s tax base.

MATAN which is the largest player in Nigeria’s market space has a membership of over 40 million traders across the country.

Under the arrangement, MATAN is expected to digitally enumerate its members, give them a digital identity and track their turnover so that VAT accrued is collected and remitted to the FIRS.

Through this initiative, the FIRS will help tackle multiple taxation in the marketplace through partnership with security agencies to curb the activities of touts, miscreants and self-imposed tax collectors involved in illegal tax collection in Nigeria’s market spaces.

Speaking at an the official launch of traders enumeration exercise in Abuja, Mr Adebayo Adefeogbe, a director in the FIRS, said the initiative would grant the government coordinated access to almost 70 per cent untaxed revenue in the informal sector.

He said collecting VAT from over 40 million traders would enable the government to provide basic amenities in marketplaces across the country.

Moses Ige, MATAN National Coordinator of Incentives, urged market leaders who were present at the event, to sensitise members of various market associations to ensure that they are captured for the VAT Direct Initiative (VDI).

He listed the benefits of VAT Direct Initiative for registered traders to include health insurance, micro pension, general insurance cover, low-interest and non-collaterised business loans and grants, provision of  provision of social amenities in marketplaces and free legal services.

Ige said, “All the services, including health insurance scheme, enjoyed by those in the public sector will also be extended to those in the informal sector. Registered MATAN members will have access to free medical care.

“Registered traders will also enjoy insurance cover in case of any loss as a result of disasters, have access to loans, and enjoy micro-pension scheme. We are working with the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to get our members registered for the contributory pension scheme.

“With the VAT Direct Initiative, the government will get more revenue to execute capital projects in markets across the country.

“We are also partnering with Bank of Industry (BOI) to ensure that every small business owners have access to loans.”

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Taxation

JIRS chair accuses revenue collection agencies of sabotaging tax collection in JIgawa

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By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

The Jigawa state Internal Revenue Service (JIRS) has accused some revenue generatiing agencies of sabotage in local revenue collection in the state.

The executive chairman of services, Malam Nasir Sabo Idris gave the indication at the launch of Jigawa Enlightenment and Engagement Team (JEET) with the aim of improving revenue generation in the state.

The executive chairman lamented over the lackadaisical attitude of most of the revenue generating agencies in the state towards their mandate of revenue and tax collection.
He also alleged that the little they collected some times are not remitted to the government account.

Malam Nasir Sabo Idris who also observed that the agencies were also not represented at the launching of Jigawa Enlightenment and Engagement Team (JEET), despite timely invitation extended to them

He attributed the continued decline of internally generated revenue in the state to inadequate tax payers enlightenment and engagement in addition to poor commitment by tax and revenue collectors.

According to him with the new strategies applied in modernizing and digitizing tax collection system, the board is targeting to increase the revenue generation by twenty percent in the first quarter of 2024.

The Chairman expressed the optimism that they will increase the state ‘s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by sixty percent at the end of next year adding that it will be doubled in the next two years.

According him, the JEET team is aimed at creating more awareness, understanding and cordial relationship between the tax payers and tax collectors in the state with the hope it will block all leakages and tax fraudulent collection.

Malam Idris maintained that the JEET would digitize taxpayers registration as well as enlighten the tax payers about electronic payment to avoid any fraudulent practice.

“Though I’m newly appointed as chairman of the board but we estimated that in 2024 the board would be able to generate N42 billion, and if the leakages are blocked we will double the tax collection by the end of this administration” ,he said.

The chairman identified some duties of the JEET to include tax payers education and enlightenment, registration of tax payers, engagement with stakeholders and Data collection, effective handling of media information among others.

He called on workers union, MDAs and all other stakeholders to cooperate with the team to achieve the desired objectives of moving Jigawa state forward.

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Taxation

FCT-IRS moves to boost revenue by priortising institutional framework

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The Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), Mr. Haruna Abdullahi has indicated that the management of the Service has priortised institutional framework as key strategy to boost revenue generation in the territory, steadily.

A statement by the Head Corporate Communications of the service Mustapha Sumaila quoted Abdullahi to have spoken in a key note address on “Accounting for a better world” at the Annual Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Members, Partner Employers and Students Summit 2023 in Abuja.

He explained that what the management of the Service under his leadership has been doing in the last two years was to build a strong and robust system that would outlive them, thereby making processes and procedures of tax administration easier and seamless with a view to enhance tax collections.

“What we have been doing in the last two years is to build the institutional framework to fit into globally recognised institutions that will be a model for not only our counterpart agencies in Nigeria but in Africa.

“We have carried out a number of reforms to reshape the Service to enhance our revenue drive in the FCT. We have stepped up on our awareness campaigns to educate taxpayers on all our processes as well mobilise the prospective taxpayers to be in tax net.

“Our engagement with our major stakeholders has been enhanced overtime as we constantly engage them, update and educate them on decision, direction and introduction of any policy in order to carry them along.

“Capacity building of staff has been an utmost priority for the Service more than ever. We cannot have efficient and committed workforce if the staffers are not well trained to deliver optimally.

“From what we have done so far, in the next few years, there will be visible impact in terms of what the Service will be generating” he stated.

The FCT-IRS boss while speaking to students at the Summit, admonished them on the importance of mentorship when making career choices, as guides from their mentors would go a long way in shaping their career paths.

Abdullahi who is also a Fellow of ACCA underscored the need for mentors and successful persons in their choosen endeavours in the society to identify talents and build them to become great people in their careers.

The FCT-IRS chairman while commending the ACCA for organising the summit, stated that the association had given him global opportunity to work around the world hence urged the participants to tap from this privilege to change their destiny.

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