Gov. Samuel Ortom, FIRS boss meet over tax compliance

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has
pledged to assist the Federal Inland Revenue
Service to increase the volume of revenue being
generated from taxes.
Ortom stated this when he visited the Executive
Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, at the
headquarters of the agency in Abuja.
A statement by the FIRS on Sunday quoted the
governor to have lamented that despite the huge
population of the country, the amount being
generated as taxes was below acceptable
standards.
The statement was signed by the Head,
Communication and Servicom Department, FIRS, Mr.
Wahab Gbadamosi.
It quoted Ortom as saying, "We should not have
the kind of financial challenges we are having
today in infrastructure and other areas because
our population is enough. If genuinely, we are
paying our taxes, we should be able to fund our
developmental needs.
"I promise to support you and collaborate with you
wherever necessary to maximise tax collection and
add value to what you do, because what you
collect comes to the Federation Account, which
also comes to us."
Fowler was said to have called for more
collaboration with state governments in improving
the level of compliance by the citizens with tax
laws.
He said, "We are in a situation where the
compliance rate for Value Added Tax and
Companies Income Tax is far below 100 per cent.
"Being where we are now, I am sure you know
more than I do that states have challenges of
funding their activities. I believe a way out is to
collect all taxes due to the government."