Malam Muhammad Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has cautioned high-income individuals who offer misleading information about their income to stop.
On Tuesday in Abuja, Bello issued the warning at a one-day tax seminar titled “Reviving the Tax Culture of Filing Tax Returns,” which was organized by the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS).
Alhaji Lukman Agboola, the Mandate Secretary of FCT Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and Public-Private Partnership, represented the minister.
He said it was worrisome that only 10 per cent of registered residents of the FCT are contributing to the maintenance and development of the territory by paying their taxes.
” As you are all aware, one of the canons of taxation is
fairness, such that payment of tax is proportional to the
income of the person.
” Therefore, tax should be equitable in a way that amount of tax payable should be proportionate to income.
” It is however worrisome that, according to reports reaching
me, only 10 per cent of registered residents of the FCT are contributing to the maintenance and development of the Territory by paying their taxes.
” This needs to change, both for fairness and entrenchment
of the rule of law. We must begin to treat tax evasion as the
crime that it is, ” he said.
Bello encouraged all residents of the FCT to take filing of
returns as an obligatory and necessary step towards
Supporting the socio-infrastructural development of FCT.
” We must understand that taxation is not just a means of
providing funds for services and infrastructure, it is also a
means for the high earners to contribute for the upliftment
of the quality of life of the low earners.”
The minister commended the FCT-IRS for its foresight
in holding the seminar aimed at
enlightening taxpayers of their very important civic responsibility of filing tax returns.
” It is my hope that this seminar will chart a way for the
FCT Internal Revenue Service to improve compliance to tax
payment and the proper declaration of all income by all
residents.”
In his keynote address, the Managing Director, JK Consulting, Dr James Naiveju, urged legislature, the judicial, public servants and professional to ensure timely and complete filing of their tax returns.
Naiveju said if all FCT residents agree to file their tax returns effectively and it would enhance the economy and reduce the rate of poverty.
He, however, urged the FCT-IRS to simplify the process of tax returns by making it electronically that could be accessible by with smart phones and other devices.
” A proud residents of the Federal Capital Territory has a moral and civil responsibility to file their tax returns with utmost patriotism to the fatherland.
” There must also be patriotism, determination, political will on the part of the authority to ensure that citizens file their tax returns as at when due.”
