Enugu revenue board targets N30b in tax to fund budget

The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service has said that it is targeting about N30 billion to fund the 2018 budget proposal now before the state House of Assembly.

It stated that the state is currently owed about N20 billion in taxes by individuals, institutions and corporate organizations, even as he appealed to residents of the state to continue to live to their
obligations by ensuring prompt payment of their tax

Chairman of the board, Emeka Odo noted that the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) improved tremendously in 2016 and 2017 having generated about N14 billion and over 20 billion, respectively, from various taxes and non-tax revenues.

He attributed the significant increase to the far reaching reforms initiated by Governor IfeanyiUgwuanyi administration, which he said were “carefully and systematically implemented by the state’s Internal
Revenue Service through blockage of revenue leakages and deployment of an Integrated Tax management system for efficient and easy tax payment, among others”

He said the board has mapped out strategies on how to meet the target, but noted that it was only when tax payers and corporate bodies fulfil their tax obligations that the set target in 2018 will be fully actualised.

Odo said: “The 2018 tax year has begun in earnest. We are therefore, reminding all tax payers and tax agents to file their returns of income with identifiable addresses, containing total amount of income from all sources and relevant information on the tax payers, within thirty (30) days from 1st January of the year of the assessment of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service. This is in accordance with Sec. 41 of Personal Income Tax Act 2011 as amended.

“It is also important to note that from the 1st quarter of the year 2018, the State Internal Revenue Service will start sending our Consultants and Auditors to institutions and agencies to carry out back duty audit, additional assessment and investigation for the previous years in accordance with Sec. 55 of Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 as amended”.

He also commended the people of the state for voluntary tax payment in 2017, which enabled the government to deliver on its 4-point agenda, pointing out that in spite of the performance of the board, “the state government is still owed over twenty billion naira in unpaid taxes by various individuals, corporations and institutions”.