The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has called on Ministries Department And Agencies (MDAs) and all taxpayers to file their 2023 annual tax returns before the deadline.
Acting Executive Chairman FCT-IRS, Mr Haruna Abdullahi, made the call in Abuja, saying the deadline for MDAs is 31st December, while employees and other taxpayers’ deadline is March.
Haruna Abdullahi, who spoke through the Head of Tax Operations FCT-IRS, Mr Abubakar Salisu, explained that voluntary compliance in tax system refers to the principle where citizens willingly cooperate with their government by filing honest and accurate annual returns without waiting for any government’s persuasion.
He said filing annual tax returns is a mandatory civic responsibility of all taxable residents every income earners must fulfil towards contributing their own quota for the development and common good of all.
The tax boss threatened that the FCT-IRS would no longer hesitate to enforce the law on MDAs and employees that default in their remittances or filling of returns.
According to him, employees that could not file their returns before the March deadline attracts N50, 000 fines, while MDAs stand the risk of paying fines to the tune of N500, 000 and even jail term.
Mr Abdullahi further explained that the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), and FCT-IRS Act had given the Service the legal backing to sanction defaulters by carrying out audit of agencies or employees up to 6 years in arrears when found guilty of evasion.
The acting executive chairman therefore advised all MDAs and tax payers not to compel the Service to carry out audit on them, but to rather come out voluntarily and willingly to perform one of their civic responsibilities by filing the 2023 Annual Tax Returns.
He identified lack of willingness of the taxpayers to voluntarily declared their profits from all sources, including the part time jobs and lack of awareness of tax evasion penalties, as some of the setbacks of developing countries in successful tax administration.
“In law ignorance is not an excuse. If FCT-IRS has ever sent SMS to you, you should know that we know more than just your phone number, if FCT-IRS has ever sent you an email, you should also know that we know you beyond your email. Voluntary compliance is just the sure way to go. Be guided,” Abdullahi warned.
