By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Internally Revenue Services (FCT-IRS) today begins an aggressive tax campaign to sensitize residents, business community and organizations on improving culture of tax paying as it targets over N200 billion tax target.
The Acting Chairman of FCT-IRS, Haruna Abdullahi, who led a road show to create awareness around the territory said that it is one of the strategies the Service had adopted to achieve its over N200 billion tax target.
Abdullahi also explained that the Service has adopted several other measures to change peoples negative attitudes towards tax paying.
He noted that the sensitization campaign for improving tax will be intensified, while the service may resort to extant laws to prosecute defaulters.
Abdullahi stressed that it is an offence for organisations and companies to fail in filing their tax returns as and when due.
Speaking on the tax drive initiative, he disclosed that the campaign will not be limited to the city center, but to all Area Councils, to ensure that all residents were properly carried along.
He said, ” the road show was to create an impression that FCT-IRS exists and also tell the public our roles and services we provide, and to also enlighten the public on their responsibilities to the country and FCT in particular.”
” We have realised that in the past years a lot of people have asked is there FCT-IRS. So it is our intention to now every January will be our tax enlightenment drive.”
” We want to let residents in Abuja to know that they have the responsibilities to pay their taxes and also file their tax returns. They should know that March 31st is deadline for filing tax returns, and there is penalty for defaulting.”
” One way of achieving our tax target of over N200 billion is by the awareness we are creating today, so that more people will file their taxes and that will affect our bottom line.”
” We are also taking our campaign to all the Area Councils and not just the city center. The FCT-IRS is guided by personal income tax and the FCT tax Act”, he added.
In line with this, Director of Tax Operation FCT -IRS, Mr Malik Tukur warned that tax evasion attracts sanctions.
Malik said, ” In other Climes people are arrested for evading taxes. we want everyone to file their annual returns as and when due.”
Director Human Resource, FCT IRS, Mr Mohammed Jada, explained that the efficiency drive of the Agency included programmes designed for training and retraining of staff towards building their capacity for maximum service delivery.
