From: Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

Governor Darius Ishaku, Taraba State, on Thursday,  urged both corporate businesses and private individuals to take advantage of the federal government Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to clear themselves with tax agencies both at the state and federal levels.

Ishaku said this at a town hall stakeholders meeting on VAIDS, at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, in Jalingo.

Ishaku said that people should take advantage of the window period of amnesty to regularize their affairs by honestly and fully declaring their assets and income that have not been declared to the tax authorities relating to previous tax periods.

“Let me use this opportunity to urge all Tarabans, both corporate and individuals, to seize the grace period offered by the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme to fully and honestly declare assets and incomes to allow for equitable assessment of their tax obligations to government for compliance

” This scheme provides the opportunity for the anomalies to be corrected and a new course of action chat to boost the revenue base of the state, give the people a direct say in the administration of their resources and create a data base for businesses and individuals for benefits that could accrue from both the state and federal government”, Ishaku said.

He assured that the government was committed to utilizing taxes optimally to bring about key development in areas that have direct bearing on the lives of the people.

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Earlier, Chairman of Taraba State Board of Internal Revenue (TBIR), Dr. Siman Ambita’a, noted that the Federal Government’s over-dependence on crude oil revenue over the years led to the negligence of the tax system.

He regretted that “Nigeria has a tax to GDP ratio of 6% which is the lowest in the world”, and assured that “Taxpayers who honestly declare their previously undisclosed assets and income would benefit from the forgiveness of overdue interests and penalties”.

Ambita’a assured that such declarants were assured that they would not face criminal prosecution for tax offences or be subjected to tax investigation.

Some of the stakeholders questioned the rationality behind exemption of religious institutions from paying taxes despite huge financial transactions and income base.

Dr. Philip Duwe, who represented the private sector at the meeting said that it was “wrong to tax the small farmers who are trying yo make ends meet while Churches that have huge financial base are not included despite some of the Church leaders flying private jets”.

Daily Sun recalls that the VAIDS was launched in Abuja in June by the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and is expected to last between 1st July this year to 31st March, 2018.

The town hall meeting drew participants from small business owners, tax authorities at state and Federal Inland Revenue Services FIRS, farmers, government officials, security agencies and others.