FCT-IRS to employ 117, generates over N100b this year

. .captures over 1m taxpayers

By Wisdom Acka

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has said that it hoped to employ about 117 staff and set up more offices across the Territory to enable it generate its target of N130 billion in 2019.

FCT-IRS Executive Chairman, Abdullahi Attah made this disclosure while conducting end of year press briefing at the Service’s head office in Gudu District, Abuja, recently.

Attah, who revealed that his organization had so far registered more than one million taxpayers in the FCT and given them their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), urged all residents to always ensure they filed in their annual returns promptly and accurately.

“I am glad to inform you that the exercise, which is one of a kind in the country, has recorded significant success. Taxpayer registration and issuance of Tax Identification Number is a continuous process and FCT residents who are yet to get their TIN are advised to visit any of the 10 FCT-IRS Tax Office and obtain same through a process that lasts for not more than 10 minutes only.”

The Chairman revealed that the FCT-IRS was undergoing a strategic transition process from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which would take 12 months to complete as it benefits from the institutional support and experience of FIRS, and to essentially, collaborate for effective handing over of taxpayer records, associated legacy values and platforms.

“FCT-IRS will also leverage on the Transition to link with the Federal Internal Revenue Data (FIRD) system for the purpose of data sharing with agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Customs, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Integrated Personal Information System (IPPIS), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) among other relevant financial agencies.

“In view of these objectives, from now till the end of the transition period, FCT-IRS will, in addition to its two offices at Kaura and Garki Headquarters, leverage on FIRS facilities and manpower support, to collect all the taxes accruable to the FCT. Taxpayers, should therefore, visit any of the FCT-IRS tax offices whether at Kaura or Garki or the ones located within the FIRS buildings across the Territory, to transact their business. Accordingly, FCT-IRS now operates in a total of 10 offices”, he added.

Attah therefore admonished: “I wish to remind employers of labour that they have a duty under the law to deduct correct amount of Pay as You Earn (PAYE) from their staff and remit to FCT-IRS immediately after every deduction” warning that Non-deduction of PAYE and rate remittance, attract penalties and interest which will be strictly enforced.

He also urged all taxpayers in the FCT to file in their Annual Tax Returns (ATR) in the manner approved and within the time specified by law. Filing of ATR is mandatory from each and every taxable person, whether under formal employment or in the informal sector.