The leadership of the Taraba State Internal Revenue Board has urged taxpayers across the state to desist from paying taxes into private accounts, warning that only designated revenue channels and authorized officers should be used for tax payments.

The call was made on Thursday during a sensitization and awareness campaign on the new tax reform initiatives organized by the board in Jalingo, the state capital.

The campaign, which was carried out across major parts of the city, attracted the participation of traders’ associations, market women, bankers, and other stakeholders.

The exercise, according to the leadership of the board, is aimed at educating taxpayers on the new tax reforms and promoting voluntary tax compliance.

Leading the exercise, the Chairman of the Board, Brigadier General (Rtd.) Jeremiah Aliyu Faransa, said the campaign was designed to engage taxpayers and strengthen public confidence in the state’s revenue collection system.

Faransa commended the cordial relationship between revenue officials and taxpayers in the state, stressing that tax payment remains a civic responsibility and a legal obligation for all eligible citizens.

According to him, the board deemed it necessary to create awareness to ensure that residents understand that no individual is authorized to collect taxes illegally or divert government revenue into personal accounts.

He warned that anyone found defrauding the government through tax-related offences would be made to face the full weight of the law.

The chairman also appealed to residents to embrace the new tax reform laws, assuring them that the board, in collaboration with the state government, would ensure that all revenues generated are judiciously utilized for the development of the state and the welfare of its citizens.

Some market women and members of traders’ associations who spoke with The Guardian expressed satisfaction with the awareness campaign and pledged to enlighten their members across the state on the importance of complying with the new tax reforms.

They described the sensitization exercise as timely and beneficial, noting that it would help reduce cases of illegal tax collection and improve compliance among taxpayers.