Stories by Rabiu Omaku
The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has revealed the creation a dedicated unit for taxation of High
Networth Individuals (HNIs) in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
In particular, the unit will focus on assessment and collection of income and other taxes as well as oversee compliance and enforcement of tax obligations by HNIs in the FCT.
The unit, will also be responsible for interface with agencies of government and other organisations, within and outside the FCT regarding the taxation of HNIs in the FCT.
This was contained in a circular signed by the Acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Michael Ango.
Ango, who noted that further to the creation of the unit, said the FCT-IRS is now focused on the proper identification, profiling and management of high-net-worth individuals within the FCT for tax compliance purposes.
A statement from Head, Corporate Communications, FCT-IRS, Mustapha Sumaila, issued yesterday stated that at a meeting to unveil the Unit, the Acting Executive Chairman explained that HNIs are “any individual whether in paid employment, self-employed, carrying on business or having passive annual income of N25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Naira) and above in any financial year”.
He therefore urged all taxpayers that fall within this category to comply with their tax obligations and pay up all outstanding liabilities within two weeks.
He adds: “For our HNI taxpayers, we believe it is in our mutual interest that they comply voluntarily and we have identified over 10,000 of such individuals, with income in trillions of Naira, to whom we have started to send notices.
“We expect that they will respond and comply voluntarily, otherwise, we will apply the relevant provisions of the law and exercise our powers to recover all the outstanding liabilities.”
He reiterated that he would continue to take steps to ensure compliance by all taxpayers, irrespective of status and enjoined all residents of the FCT to continue to support the efforts of the current administration to improve the infrastructure and public services in the FCT and satellite towns by paying their taxes.
It will be recalled that Ango, since resuming office, as Chief Executive of the Service, has consistently emphasized the need to enhance revenue generation in the FCT, in order to support the aggressive infrastructural transformation being undertaken by FCT Administration under the FCT minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike.
