FIRS Set To Commence Nationwide Monitoring, Enforcement Of Tax Payment Compliance

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has alerted the public that it’s set to embark on a nationwide Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT) compliance enforcement exercise from July, 2022.

This is disclosed in a public notice announcement to the effect of commencing the compliance monitoring exercise endorsed by the FIRS Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami.

The exercise is coming on the heels of an earlier notice by the Service to commence the enforcement and recovery of unremitted tax deductions owed the Federation by some States and Local Governments.

The VAT and Withholding Tax Compliance Monitoring exercise will involve teams of FIRS officers visiting selected taxpayers and taxable persons to review their VAT and Withholding Tax records.

According to the notice, “The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) shall embark on a nationwide VAT and WHT compliance monitoring exercise with effect from July 1, 2022.”

“As a result, teams of officers from the Service shall visit selected taxpayers, taxable persons (including companies, NGOs or MDAs) to review their VAT and WHT records.”

Mr. Muhammad Nami further highlighted that the exercise will cover 2016 to 2020 accounting years for taxable persons whose records have been audited by the Service up to 2015 accounting year.

He, however, noted that for taxpayers whose records have not been audited by the Service up to 2015, the exercise will be extended to include the prior years that have not been tax audited.

The Service also called on all taxable persons and tax agents to immediately remit deductions of VAT and Withholding Tax they have made on its behalf.

“All taxable persons or tax agents who have made deductions of VAT or WHT on behalf of the Service are required to immediately remit all such deductions to the FIRS within two weeks of this publication”, it stated.

However, FIRS explained that those who would be visited during the monitoring exercise will be notified beforehand and informed of the required documents for review .