By Patience Omoha and Ikenna Uwadileke
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has recommended tax compliance as prerequisite for clearing aspirants to contest for elective positions.
The Executive Chairman of FIRS and Chairman, Joint Tax Board (JTB) Muhammad Nami made the recommendation at a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was also attended by the Chief Executive Officers of the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration among the agencies to ensure tax compliance among candidates in the upcoming elections.
According to Nami, there is the need to promote measures aimed at strengthening the capacity for sustainable and inclusive tax administration in the country.
He said that whoever does not pay tax should not be given tax payers money to superintend.
“It is important that political office holders pay their right taxes to enable the tax agencies channel the funds for national development.
“Tax payment has become a secondary matter because some of us are benefiting from social amenities achieved from money from oil,’’ he said.
While emphasising that tax revenue was the most effective and sustainable way for generating funds required to drive social economy, Nami called for a reorientation that would make every income earner pay tax.
“The challenge we face as a nation is that the tax Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria is about the lowest in the whole world.
“We must get our tax right. We must have a reorientation or reconstruction of our tax code.
“Tax compliance is a constitutional obligation and it is our duty to ensure that every eligible citizen pays his or her tax promptly and accurately.
“The 2023 election presents an opportunity for us to ensure the effective compliance of every political actor to show case his tax agenda as part of prerequisite for 2023 elections, ” Nami said.
By Patience Omoha and Ikenna Uwadileke
Abuja, May 24, 2022 (NAN) The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has recommended tax compliance as prerequisite for clearing aspirants to contest for elective positions.
The Executive Chairman of FIRS and Chairman, Joint Tax Board (JTB) Muhammad Nami made the recommendation at a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was also attended by the Chief Executive Officers of the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration among the agencies to ensure tax compliance among candidates in the upcoming elections.
According to Nami, there is the need to promote measures aimed at strengthening the capacity for sustainable and inclusive tax administration in the country.
He said that whoever does not pay tax should not be given tax payers money to superintend.
“It is important that political office holders pay their right taxes to enable the tax agencies channel the funds for national development.
“Tax payment has become a secondary matter because some of us are benefiting from social amenities achieved from money from oil,’’ he said.
While emphasising that tax revenue was the most effective and sustainable way for generating funds required to drive social economy, Nami called for a reorientation that would make every income earner pay tax.
“The challenge we face as a nation is that the tax Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria is about the lowest in the whole world.
“We must get our tax right. We must have a reorientation or reconstruction of our tax code.
“Tax compliance is a constitutional obligation and it is our duty to ensure that every eligible citizen pays his or her tax promptly and accurately.
“The 2023 election presents an opportunity for us to ensure the effective compliance of every political actor to show case his tax agenda as part of prerequisite for 2023 elections, ” Nami said.
