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By Dawud Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe, has urged taxpayers in the state to report activities of unauthorized individuals involved in tax collection for legal action.
Enehe gave the advice in Lokoja on Tuesday at the KGIRS Stakeholders Interactive Session 2024 Edition, themed “Continuous Engagement for Effective Tax Administration.”
According to him, KGIRS is not involved with these “black collectors” and has digitized most of its tax collection systems, avoiding the use of unauthorized persons.
The executive chairman revealed that while KGIRS was generating over N5 billion annually in 2015, his leadership had increased revenue generation to N23 billion as of 2023.
Answering questions from attendees, Enehe advised taxpayers to be aware of how the government uses their money for state development to curb corruption among those responsible for utilizing tax funds. He assured that the Kogi State government had used taxpayers’ money judiciously, as evidenced by numerous physical infrastructure projects across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Former executive chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Salami, commended Enehe for his expertise in tax administration and described his management as achieving significant revenue growth for the state.
Some taxpayers raised concerns about over-taxation and urged for corporate social responsibility, calling on the Service to address their issues to ease the taxation burden on them and their businesses.
Responding, Alhaji Enehe stated that the Service does not aim to overtax individuals but must adhere to legal frameworks in tax administration. He called on taxpayers to be diligent and truthful in filling out tax forms, enabling the Service to assess them accurately according to established rules and regulations.
The Director in charge of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies at KGIRS, Mr. Olubunmi Ajayi, explained the workings of KGIRS to the gathering.
He urged retirees who needed to pay taxes to declare their true sources of income on their tax forms to avoid ambiguity and potential over-taxation.
Our correspondent reports that the occasion provided an ample opportunity for taxpayers and KGIRS management to discuss ways to advance tax administration in the state to the desired level.
Highlights of the occasion were the certificate of recognition KGIRS management gave to the Central Bank of Nigeria,other banks and organizations for being good citizens of kogi state in paying tax.
The event also witnessed the slide displaying pictures of various physical infrastructure the state government used tax payers’ money for to bring dividends of democracy to the citizens in the three Senatorial districts of the state.
