FCT IRS, EFCC partner to enhance tax compliance in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has sought collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enhance tax compliance in the territory.

The acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr. Michael Ango, solicited the partnership when he visited the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ango explained that the partnership was in line with the mandate of the FCT-IRS to collaborate with relevant agencies, such as the EFCC, towards improving tax compliance in the FCT.

He disclosed that one of the major initiatives of the FCT-IRS in 2025 was the harmonisation of revenue collection and administration in the FCT.

He said this would not be possible without the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, including anti-graft agencies.

“This is to ensure that all revenue due to the FCT is collected and accounted for in a transparent manner, enhance the ease of doing business, and improve revenue generation.

“This will further consolidate the massive infrastructural development in the territory by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike,” he said.

He argued that most suspects being investigated by the EFCC for financial crimes were not tax-compliant.

Ango added that it would be helpful if the suspects’ tax obligations were also interrogated as part of the EFCC’s investigation processes.

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According to him, this approach can also be extended to the forfeiture of assets or monies of suspects to the EFCC by the courts.

“When suspects are being investigated or charged to court, we would like to know, Mr. Chairman, their tax compliance level.

“If they escape from one door, we can catch them through another door. We will, therefore, be happy to partner with you on this, as we are doing with your sister agency, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU),” he suggested.

The FCT-IRS boss condoled with the EFCC on the recent loss of its operative.

He also commended the commission’s chairman and his management team for the excellent work they are doing to tackle financial crimes in the country.

In his remarks, the EFCC boss thanked Ango and his team for the visit and expressed the commission’s willingness to partner with the FCT-IRS to improve revenue collection in the FCT.

Olukoyede said the commission had entered into similar partnerships with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and other State Internal Revenue Services.

He expressed the commission’s readiness to extend the same gesture to the FCT-IRS.

According to him, the move will enable the FCT-IRS to shore up its revenue collections.

He, however, stressed the need for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to highlight the specific areas of collaboration, pointing out that the MoU would further strengthen the relationship between the two organisations.

The EFCC chairman, who said he has been keeping tabs on Ango’s achievements since his appointment as the FCT-IRS boss, also lauded the ongoing massive infrastructural development in the FCT.

“This shows that taxpayers’ money is being judiciously used across the territory for the benefit of all,” he said.