The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has said that the proposed tax reform bills will expand the pool of eligible taxpayers rather than introduce new taxes.
Adedeji made these remarks on Tuesday during the second edition of the annual national dialogue organised by Nigeria Politics Online (NPO).
He was represented by Umar Idris, the Director of intergovernmental relations at the FIRS, who said that the tax laws currently in the national assembly aim to reform the tax system, enabling the country to generate more revenue without burdening citizens.
“We don’t need new taxes; what we need is new taxpayers,“ He said.
“We want to simplify tax payments with the hope of maximising revenue. We are committed to fair tax administration, responsive and accessible service to optimise revenue for national development.”
Adedeji noted that all revenue-collecting agencies have performed well this year, surpassing their targets from January to October. According to the FIRS chairman, the outlook is positive that the agencies will exceed their respective targets by the end of the year.
He noted that effective taxation relies on collaboration between the tax agency and the taxpayers.
“So we are moving from voluntary compliance to cooperative compliance. Let’s sit and discuss how best we can improve our revenue through taxation.” He said.
Regarding how the government can boost revenue, Adedeji explained that working with private sector investors can overcome funding limitations. He stressed that such partnerships would facilitate innovative approaches to public service delivery and infrastructural advancement.
“In this context, promoting private sector investment can create a favorable business climate, provide incentives, and support public-private collaborations,” the FIRS chairman stated.
Adedeji also pointed out several revenue-generating strategies for the government, including asset optimisation, digitalisation, value-added tax (VAT), privatisation, fostering private-sector investment, and implementing cost-reduction measures.
He highlighted the significance of making tax payments easy and accessible, adding that his administration strives to ensure that people can pay their taxes easily.
