The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, today disclosed that N30 billion had been recovered under the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) from individuals and organizations so far.
Fowler, who gave this hint at the unveiling of the VAIDS Declaration Certificate in Abuja, projected that if the required support of taxpayers in the drive to boost non-oil tax revenue remained sustained, the nation’s taxpayers base could increase to 40 million within the next 12 to 15 months.
According to him, while the FIRS collected about 90 per cent of the total amount, the states were responsible for collecting the balance of 10 per cent under the amnesty scheme.
The FIRS boss noted that the VAIDS had scheme had significantly increased tax payers’ database from under 14 million before 2016 to over 19 million in 2018, adding that the scheme’s implementation has demonstrated the need for increased collaboration between the federal government and the states to increase the number of tax payers.
He, therefore, urged state revenue agencies’ chairmen to constantly engage in enlightening tax payers about voluntary tax compliance as a way of building a friendlier tax environment.
While introducing the VAIDS Declaration Certificate, Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Oseni Elamah, explained that Certificates being issued were for taxpayers that voluntarily declared their assets and income.
On the difference between the VAIDS Declaration Certificate and the Tax Clearance Certificate, Elamah clarified: “While the VDC is issued as evidence that the tax payer has declared previously undisclosed assets and income, the Tax Clearance Certificate is issued after the tax payer has totally paid all the tax dues.”
