Respite For Erring Taxpayers
- As FIRS gives 30days window
- Fixes new TCC regime
BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – Determined to shore up its game for improved income generation into the Federation account, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has provided a 30-day window to enable all Nigerian taxpayers obtain their Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs).
This is as the Service threatens to invoke existing laws, including enforcement and imposition of lien, on any taxpayer that misleads it to issue TCC inappropriately.
The new window now runs from Thursday, January 2, to Friday, January, 31, 2020.
In a public notice personally signed by its Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, the FIRS said the new window is designed to make things easy for taxpayers to meet their obligations.
Nami said the decision to ease TCC’s issuance is in line with the provisions of Section 101 (1) of CITA LFN 2004 and in conformity with Self-Assessment Regulation, 2011.
He said the notice, titled: “FACILITATING 2020 TAX CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE (TCC) ISSUANCE,” will assist taxpayers in meeting their obligations, warning that no effort would be spared in ensuring strict compliance with existing provisions of the law.
The full text of the Public Notice read thus: “Following the numerous complaints received from our esteemed taxpayers with respect to difficulties encountered before obtaining Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) and the fact that taxpayers need TCC to enable them to, inter alia, seek and obtain contracts and loans, renew permits, registrations, franchises, agreements and/or licenses that will invariably generate revenue from which taxes will be paid, Management has looked into the above complaints and has taken steps to ease the process of obtaining TCC.
“Consequently, notice is hereby given that the Service has put in place machinery to issue 2020 TCC for all eligible taxpayers from 2nd January to 31st January, 2020.
“The Service may not hesitate to use enforcement activities including imposition of lien on bank accounts of such defaulting companies to recover any outstanding debts when it discovers that the taxpayer has misled the Service in her duty to observe tax compliance.
“The issuance of TCC to ease the burden of taxpayers is in line with the provisions of Section 101 (1) of CITA LFN 2004 and in conformity with Self-Assessment Regulation, 2011.”
The notice therefore encouraged all taxpayers “to take advantage of this initiative and apply for their 2020 TCC, as soon as possible” or face the risk of being sanctioned.
