Yakubu Busari
State Coordinator of Federal Inland Revenue Service in Plateau state, Ahmed Garba has solicited the cooperation of the citizens to promptly pay their tax to avoid harassment toward improving the health care delivery to citizenry.
According to him, the scheme will cover all the taxes especially company tax, personal income tax, petroleum tax, capital gain stamp duties and education withholding tax in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, The Plateau State government launched the formal take off of the state in keying into the Federal government’s Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme, VAIDS.
The VAIDS Scheme which was launched by the Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo on the 29th June 2017 to last for nine months is a platform created for all eligible tax payers to rise up to their civic responsibilities of paying their taxes promptly.
The scheme, according to the tax enforcement agency, has a time limited opportunity for taxpayers to regulate their tax status relating to previous tax period in exchange for fully and honestly declaring previously under a closed assets and income.
Launching the scheme in the state on behalf of the state government, the Plateau state board of internal revenue in the state headed by the board’s chairman in support of state commissioners, chairmen of boards and parastatal and Transition Management Committee in the state described the scheme as a welcome development.
According to them the scheme will significantly step up the revenue profile of the state and local governments as well as help in the running of administrations in the state and encourage citizens to cooperate and comply with scheme to enable it achieve its aims.
In her welcome remarks and the former launching of the VAIDS Scheme, the state commissioner of finance Mrs. Tamwakat Weli stressed that one of the aims of the scheme is to offer an amnesty window to allow Nigerians who may have evade tax, whether ignorantly or deliberately, the opportunity to do their civic today to pay their taxes whilst providing the Much needed revenue for Nigeria’s infrastructure.
“Upon expiration of the voluntary asset and income declaration programme, government will commence criminal prosecution of those who have evaded taxes and yet failed to take advantage of the scheme”.
She advised citizens to approach tax authorities and obtain their tax registration forms to avoid tax disputes.
Our correspondent reports that the scheme covers all federal, states and local government taxes such as companies’ income tax, personal income tax, petrol income tax, capital gain, stamp duties, education tax and among others.
Hon Emmanuel Jugul, the Transition committee chairman of Riyom Local Government Area who spoke with our correspondent on the significant of the scheme said it is a welcome development and promised to pursue it to the later to ensuring that the people comply and pay their taxes as when due to boost the revenue of the locality and as well enhanced the days to day dining of government and human capital development.
Part of the launching was the sensitization rally which took the participating agencies though streets of Ahmedu Bello through the busy Hamze business units, Terminus market, Masarachi Juma’ah to Zaria bye pass to Tafawa Balewa back to post office and to the headquarters of the PSIRS, all in Jos.
