TAX DEFAULTERS MAY BE BARRED FROM TRAVELLING ABROAD – FIRS

Nigerians, who scoff at calls to pay taxes on a timely fashion, might find it difficult to travel abroad soon.

This is because Tax Clearance Certificates, TCC is emerging as a key travel document requirement, for Nigerians eyeing global destinations of choice.

This was disclosed by the Ag. Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Kabir Mashi recently at the Centennial Trade Fair organised by the Abuja Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture, ABUCCIMA.

A statement by the Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, Emmanuel Obeta quoted mashi as saying “For a few who may have decided to still run against the law, please note that very soon you won’t be able to do business or travel abroad – I mean any part of the world-without evidence of tax payment and attestation, otherwise called Tax Clearance Certificates, TCC.

Mashi who was represented by the Coordinating Director, Direct Reports Group, Hajia Q. S. Seghosime noted that it was against the law to do transactions with companies and entities that have no Taxpayer Identification Number, TIN and urged members of the public to be properly guided.

He said “And to our partners in the Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, note that in addition to registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission,(CAC, you are also under obligation to register with the tax authorities, obtain a TIN and file your annual tax returns with the FIRS.’’

TCC is a document, issued by the FIRS or by a State Board of Internal Revenue, indicating the holder has been cleared of his tax liabilities in the past three years as at the day of issuance.

Mashi said that the Service had been part of the nation’s success story in its 100 years of existence through the provision of vital resource for the colonial administration and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since independence in 1960.

The fair the FIRS Chairman noted, provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs, merchants, retailers, and policy makers to interact over a period of two weeks. We at FIRS treasure such interactions as we do not know it all. We will treasure every bit of “your insights and perspectives that will improve our collective enterprise of providing sustainable revenue for national development, in partnership with you all”.

“Today, we are publicly acknowledging that there could be better ways of connecting with you. This in part, informed our decision to invite some Nigerians from the Nollywood industry, led by Mr. Adebayo Salami, aka OGA BELLO, along with his colleagues from the Nollywood industry, to further illume the business that we do.

“The presence of Nollywood actors here agrees with our emerging communication tradition of communicating tax through drama and other engagement platforms. I’m sure you have been noticing our tax laced- drama series on several television stations,” said Mashi.

Opportunities to obtain TIN numbers and seek answers to tax related questions were provided for taxpayers at the Trade Fair.

President, Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry ABUCCIMA, Engr. (Dr.) Solomon Nyagba asked for stronger collaboration between ABUCCIMA and the FIRS to ease the process of paying taxes. He cautioned against the use of force.

Source: Nigerian Pilot