As part of moves to reduce cases of multiple taxation, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it has started the harmonisation of taxes in Nigeria.
The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Babatunde Fowler, made this known on Friday at a roundtable discussion on women and the informal sector in Abuja.
Fowler, who was represented by the Senior Manager on Investigation, Clara Nnachi, disclosed that FIRS would soon sort out all problems of multiple taxation in states.
He said that this would give Nigerians clear direction of what tax to pay, alleging that many states hide under FIRS to tax citizens.
He said, “Some of the taxes Nigerians complain of as being imposed on them, especially on the market women, are done by states, not FIRS.
“The Joint Tax Board as a body is working together with the FIRS to harmonise tax collection from small businesses all over Nigeria.
“We have the National Tax Implementation Committee working on the National Tax Policy to harmonies the taxes that are being paid in different states.
“It is going to address the issue of multiple taxation.”
Fowler expressed optimism that the government in a very short time would come up with policies on harmonised taxation.
He noted that the Federal Government understood what the people, especially those in the informal sector, were going through.
The tax boss said the National Tax Standard Board was also doing a lot toward harmonisation of taxes.
With the bodies coming together in a short time, he said the Federal Government would be able to address the issue of multiple taxation.
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