The Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, on Wednesday said that tax defaulters who failed to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) amnesty, would pay the outstanding taxes with interests and penalties.
He gave this hint during his interaction with State House correspondents after a session with the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Fowler, also said that the problem of multiple taxation was been addressed in the country.
While updating journalists on the VAIDS implementation so far, the tax administrator said: “The update (on VAIDS) is that it expired June 30. And anyone who has not come forth by now, we shall use all the legal means to make sure that we bring them to book and make sure they pay the appropriate tax with interests and penalties.
“The response has been very good. We are collating all the figures both at the federal levels and the states levels and I believe that by the middle of July, we should be able to tell the nation the exact progress in terms of the numbers that have declared, amount that have been paid and amount that is going to be paid instalmentally”, he stressed.
Fowler also confirmed that the FEC had ratified the automatic exchange of information with other countries in furtherance of the ongoing efforts of government to ensure that all local and foreign taxes and revenues accrue to the country.
On multiple taxation complaints by taxpayers Fowler clarified: “Let me say once again that we do not really have a situation of multiple taxation. You only have multiple taxation when you pay the same tax to different tiers of government.
“What we have found out is that a lot of people categorise any payment to government as a tax. For example, if you receive fine, a penalty, they call it tax. If you pay for parking space, they call it tax. Those are the things you refer to as user charges and not taxes.
“The Federal Government has, through the Ministry of Information and also through the office of the Vice President, been talking about the different projects that have been financed with tax revenues and I think as Nigerians begin to see those dividends of democracy, very good spending, people will be more encouraged to pay more taxes”, the FIRS chairman added.
