CITN enforces charter Act, orders use of stamp, seal on tax returns

The Chartered Institute of Taxation Nigeria (CITN) has again notified the general public, particularly the tax practitioners and administrators that by January 2, 2019, all tax returns without the CITN stamp and seal, prepared and submitted to FIRS on behalf of taxpayers, will no longer be accepted.
 
Similarly, it has set a December 31, 2018, deadline for all its members, whether in full or part time practice, to obtain the CITN seal and stamp.The move, aimed at enforcing the power of CITN to regulate tax practice in the country, is enshrined in its enabling Charter (CITN ACT Cap C.10 Vol 2, LFN 2004), as affirmed by Hon. Justice Lateefat Okunnu in CITN versus ICAN, March 12, 2007, judgement.
 
It is also to put the record in perspective with regards to the memorandum of understanding signed in 2015, which terms of settlement were to be entered as the judgment of the Supreme Court, between CITN and ICAN, which encourages members of the accounting body to join CITN and enjoy the privilege of practising taxation after fulfilling the tax body’s requirements.
  
Thus, the CITN is the only institute statutorily empowered to regulate tax practice and administration in Nigeria and in tandem with the Act establishing the institute, it is now mandatory for professionals filing tax returns on behalf of their clients to affix the CITN stamp and seal in all the returns submitted to the FIRS.
 
In a statement signed by the institute’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Adefisayo Awogbade, he noted that CITN requires all its members to take necessary steps to be “in good standing with the institute by obtaining their stamps and affixing same thereto on tax returns, effective January 2, 2019.”He also said that other professionals, who are yet to obtain the practicing licence of the institute should do so without further delay and may need to visit the CITN website at www.citn.org for necessary direction.
 
However, only taxpayers, who do not need the services of tax practitioners and who decide to file their tax returns directly, would not be under.By the judgement, a declaration was made that taxation is legally recognised in Nigeria as a profession, separate and distinct from the accountancy profession and that CITN is vested with power to regulate and control the practice of taxation in all its ramifications to the exclusion of ICAN and any other professional body or institute in Nigeria.The judgement also warned that it is unlawful to forestall or impede CITN’s efforts to regulate tax practice in the country by anybody.