FIRS To Defaulters: Pay Up Or Risk Being Sanctioned

The Federal Inland Revenue Service has warned those in default of taxes to pay up or risk being sanctioned in line with the provisions of the Finance Act 2019.

The Executive Chairman, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, gave the warning on Thursday in Lagos during his public enlightenment and sensitisation tour of the South-West.

The FIRS boss, according to a statement issued by the organisation on Thursday, charged tax debtors to resume their payment of relevant federal taxes to avoid paying the penalties for tax default.

The statement was signed by the Director, Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS, Mr Abdullahi Ahmad.

Nami said under the 2019 Finance Act, penalty for default in tax payment had been increased from N20,000 in some cases to as high as N50,000 in the first instance and N25,000 subsequently.

On the other hand, he explained that taxpayers who file their returns three months before their due date would get the benefit of early payment and prompt action by receiving a two per cent reduction on the amount payable.

The FIRS boss urged all taxpayers in default across the country to clear their backlog of tax payments immediately to avoid sanctions.

The statement said Nami met directly with senior and junior FIRS officials at their workstations to obtain firsthand information on their challenges in the office and on the field.

He also did an on-the-spot assessment of facilities and the condition under which the members of staff of FIRS performed their jobs.

The workers assured the FIRS chairman that they would double their efforts to meet and surpass the N8.5tn revenue target set for the organisation recently by the Federal Government.