FIRS, states and matters arising, By Abubakar Yusuf

Since the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) collectible by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for many years, the proceeds is often distributed among the three tiers of government: Federal, 36 states and the 774 local government areas, including six local councils of the FCT. This consisted of all other varying revenues collected by FIRS and remitted into the federal purse to augment federation account, among other emergencies. Federation account by implication is what states and local governments rely upon to mitigate both their recurrent and many times other expenditures,…

Finance Act 2020: NCC,Sister Agencies to Strengthen Collaboration with FIRS

An inter-agency committee set up by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, to discuss areas of collaboration between the agencies of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in relation to the Finance Act 2020 has held an interactive session.   Chaired by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, the membership of the committee is comprised of the Executive Chairman of FIRS and heads of agencies in the…

NIPOST battles FIRS over Stamp Duty

The Nigerian Postal Service and the Federal Inland Revenue Service are in a battle over their mandates. The Chairman of NIPOST, Maimuna Abubakar, first raised the alarm, while FIRS in a statement on Tuesday said it was only working based on its mandate. Abubakar, in a series of tweets on Twitter, said: “I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless nights because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid; FIRS stole our mandate. “FIRS are now selling stamps instead of buying from us. What is happening,…

FIRS: Stamp duty as new black gold, by Muhammad Nami

This matter of making the Stamp Duty (and by implication tax revenue) the next black gold has occupied my mind even long before I was appointed the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service. I have thought that given the way the Nigerian economy has been experiencing some difficulties due to unpredictable shocks in the competitive international oil market, it would be economically wise that the country begins to activate its latent tax potentials such as the stamp duty which has long been neglected.   For me, the key…

Lawan tasks FIRS to widen tax net

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday tasked the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) to consider widening the tax net rather than overburden the people and business concerns. Lawan was the Guest Speaker at the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Audit and Recovery of back years Stamp Duties and FIRS’ formal launching of adhesive Stamp for Stamp Duties collection in Nigeria. “We should rather expand the tax net. Let’s not over burden our businesses or our citizens,” Lawan said at the event which took place in Abuja. The…

FIRS stops scores recruited by Fowler from resuming

Hundreds of Nigerians who were given letters of employment by the immediate past Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, have not been allowed to resume over six months after they received the letters, The PUNCH has learnt. It was learnt that some of those affected had already resigned from their previous places of work after receiving the letters of employment only to be rendered jobless afterwards. A copy of one of the letters signed on behalf of Fowler by the Director, Human Capital Management Department, Victor Ekundayo,…

NIPOST: We’ve taken steps to address contradictions in stamp duty collection

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) says it has taken actions to address the legal contradictions contained in a circular published by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). There has been contention between the FIRS and NIPOST over the custodian of stamp duty after the implementation of the stamp duty act. NIPOST insists that it is empowered with the statutory power to print, mint, produce, retail, and provide adhesive postage stamps. In a recently released circular, the FIRS said it now has a portal for automated stamp duties collection; where all stamp…

FIRS denies staff tested positive of coronavirus

Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has denied a report that said a member of staff at the FIRS headquarters in Abuja has been tested positive to COVIV-19. FIRS stated that no member of staff at the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19 as being peddled on Social Media. The Service confirmed that a member of staff who went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad was currently and voluntarily observing the Federal Government advisory of self-isolation alongside his spouse at the couple’s home…