Nigerian Government Goes Tough Against Tax Clearance Certificate Racketeering

FIRS Chairman, Tunde Fowler

Nigerian Government has commenced clampdown against fake Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) racketeering in the country as payments to companies and contractors are now to be made after authentication of TCCs.

It has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to authenticate all Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) presented by companies and individuals engaged in public procurement processes.

A statement by Oluyinka Akintunde, a  Special Adviser (Media and Communications) to the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, explained that this directive was in response to the proliferation of forged TCCs purportedly issued prior to the automation of the certificates from 22nd August, 2017.

Adeosun said that the validation of the TCCs would enhance the integrity of the tax system.

A Circular issued on Tuesday by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, requires the MDAs to authenticate all TCCs prior to making any payment.

Electronic TCCS (e-TCCs) can be verified via logging into https//tcc.firs.gov.ng and taking the following steps: click on verify e-TCC, enter the TCC number and complete the captcha, and click on submit to view the TCC number entered.

For TCCs issued before 22nd August, 2017, the Circular advised the MDAs and other stakeholders to forward a list of the companies and photocopies of the TCCs to the office of the Executive Chairman, FIRS for authentication. The FIRS has undertaken to verify the TCCs within 72 hours of receipt.

The Minister reminded Company Directors that possession of fake TCCs is an offense e endorsed as she noted that the now outdated manual system allowed production of forged TCCs.

Companies and individuals in doubt as to the authenticity of their TCCs are advised to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularise.

6.   She added that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the FIRS would continue to work in partnership with government at all levels and stakeholders towards eradicating tax fraud and evasion.

The Federal Government, it would be recalled, had in January 2018 directed vendors of MDAs to display their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) on their invoices before payments are effected.

The non-presentation of a TIN by the vendors largely contributed to leakages in revenue remittances, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT).