Taxation: FCT-IRS tasks residents on attitudinal change

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital Territory Internally Revenue Services (FCT-IRS) has taken aggressive campaign to Abuja residents, aimed at inculcating tax paying culture on both individuals and organisations.

The Acting Chairman of FCT-IRS,  Haruna Abdullahi,  who led a road show,  said awareness creation was one of the strategies the Service had adopted to hit its over N200 billion tax target.

Abdullahi noted that the Service has adopted several measures to change peoples negative attitudes towards tax paying. 

While he noted that the sensitisation campaign for improving tax will be intensified, he also disclosed that the service may resort to extant laws to prosecute defaulters. 

According to him, it is an offence for organisations and companies to fail in filing their tax returns as and when due.

He went further to explain that the campaign will not be limited to the city center,  put taking to all Area Councils,  to ensure that all residents were properly carried along.

Abdullahi 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. 

Similarly, the Director of Tax Operation FCT -IRS, Mr Malik Tukur warned that tax evasion attracts sanctions.

“ In other Climes people are arrested for evading taxes. we want everyone to file their annual returns as and when due” Malik said.

Not left out, the Director Human Resource, FCT IRS, Mr. Mohammed Jada,  who  spoke on the efficiency drive of the Agency, noted that programmes have been designed for training  and retraining of staff towards building their capacity for maximum service delivery.