By Hammed Shittu
The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, (KW-IRS) has said that as part of efforts to support federal allocation accrued to the state, it has designed a tool for collection of all revenue due for payment from taxpayers across the state.
The tool is out to block all forms of leakages in revenue collection as this would assist the agency to carry out its mandate of revenue generation for the strategic development of the state.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin yesterday, the Executive Chairman of the agency, Mrs. Shade Omoniyi said, “The Harmonised bill is one of the automation strategies of the service to improve on its collection activities, bring all eligible entities or businesses into the tax net and enhance collections in the state.”
According to her, “This revenue drive in the state, with the introduction of the harmonised
bill, will improve the tax compliance in the state.” She said that, “this new drive will also bring about an enhanced revenue generation which is a veritable support for the federal allocation in ensuring the government meets its responsibilities and desires of Kwarans.”
She added, “It is important to state that, KW- IRS has not reviewed revenue fee or introduced new taxes to tax payers since the current administration took over.
“All revenue lines currently being collected have been in existence. KW-IRS has however introduced an approach to ensuring required and legitimate tax due are paid by taxpayers and collected appropriately into the coffers of the state.” Listing out the benefits of the harmonised bill tool, Omoniyi stated that, “the new drive would assist the revenue agency to compute, consolidate and communicate all payable tax revenue and non-tax revenue as applicable to each eligible taxpayer in the state, within any assessment year.” “Stop illegal negotiation between taxpayers and revenue officers in the Ministries or KW-IRS, as
well as avoid diversion of government’s money into personal pockets.
“Block most of the leakages through the display of all taxes due for payment by a tax payer and provide education on double and multiple taxation. “A single entity could be charged to different revenue lines depending on the nature of business. “Indicate the level of tax compliance by showing both current and outstanding liabilities of each taxpayer in a single document.” She, however, advised MDAs to allow taxpayers with arrears, access government benefits when they pay their dues for the current year, while they come up with plans for the payment of their outstanding liabilities.
She stressed that, “all revenue lines of the MDAs in Kwara State on the harmonised bill
are the same as approved and as provided by existing relevant laws.” The chairman therefore said that, “the agency will continue to collaborate with all MDAs and stakeholders in the State for effective and efficient collection of all that is legally due from taxpayers and enjoins all taxpayers to seek clarifications from appropriate sources when indoubt.” Omoniyi recently disclosed that the agency recorded revenue generation of over N19 billion despite the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin recently, Omoniyi said the amount was achieved in the first quarter of 2020, before the pandemic took full effect on the economy.
According to her, “Due to the lack of physical contacts with some taxpayers for collections as well as the lockdown, there was a huge dip in revenue generated in Q2 2020 which extended into Q3 2020, to the last quarter of 2020.”
She had disclosed that there was a substantial recovery from the crippling effect of the
pandemic on businesses and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). “For the entire year 2020, KW-IRS recorded a total revenue of N19, 623,992,033.64 which was 75.48 per cent of the N25, 997,573,296.00 revised annual budget.
“The year 2020 was marked with quick implementation of various measures to cushion
the effects of the pandemic on taxpayers, which included the donation of palliatives, extension of the deadline for filing Annual Returns from 31st March to 30th September, 2020,” she had said.
