Abia automates tax certificate processing

Abia State Internal Revenue Service has, in addition to the electronic ticketing ( e-ticketing) system it earlier activated, also introduced the Instant Tax Clearance Certificate ( ITCC) system, which enables taxpayers that require Tax Clearance Certificates ( TCC ) to, on their own, process, download and generate them online from the comfort of their locations anywhere in the world.

The Chairman of Abia State Internal Revenue Service (Service) Celestine Agbara who spoke to The Guardian described the ITCC innovation as a convenient, seamless and fraud-free online application for self-processing and generation of TCC by the taxpayers themselves.

He said that under ITCC, the taxpayer requiring TCC, first logs into https://TCC.abia.tax to complete four steps that take a short time and thereafter print out their TCCs as many times as they require it.

“Once the taxpayer who has obtained the Abia State Social Security Identification Number (ABSSIN), which is provided by Revotax Ltd), logs on to tcc.abia.tax, using a browser, he/she ( Tax Payer ) undergoes Tax assessment by filling in the year of payment.”

According to Agbara, this will be followed by payment options after which a Certified True Copy is sent to his/ her email address for him/her to print out the processed TCC after having made payment successfully.

Also, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Appmart Integrated Ltd and member of the ITCC Deployment Team, Chief Anthony Umejiofor told The Guardian that the state-reformed digital revenue collection system was designed to cut-down heavy taxation as well as shut down the loopholes and illegal windows through which the funds meant for the development of the state are siphoned into private pockets and enterprises.

According to Umejiofor, “this new approach would simplify procedures, reduce the compliance burden on taxpayers and accelerate an efficient, streamlined and transparent collection of taxes in the state.”

Agbara also explained the e-ticketing system, saying that it is an electronic medium through which vendors/agents sell daily revenue tickets in areas where the civil servants cannot get to or during odd hours and pay the proceeds directly to the government-designated bank accounts adding that the system ensures that the vendors/agents collect only what they pre-paid government for.

He disclosed that the ITCC and e-ticketing systems are some of the revenue service automation processes that were aimed at effecting optimal service delivery and asserted that the two have tremendously improved the state revenue/tax collection adding that e-ticketing was part of the revenue drive approved by the State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, during the Covid-19 pandemic to avoid people making physical contacts with one another.

While Agbara urged eligible taxpayers to process and obtain their TCCs online and visit the service offices for tax assessment and necessary inquiries and guidance, the CTO commended the state governor, the Service Chairman and the staff for improving the revenue recovery of the state.