Corporate taxpayers in Nigeria to hit 45 million

The corporate taxpayer roll of the country will soon hit 45 million.

Executive secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Oseni Elamah, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday while presenting a report on the new Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) registration system to the executive chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Tunde Fowler.

Elamah explained that the leap in taxpayer roll was due to collaborative efforts between the FIRS and states’ internal revenue services, part of which is the ongoing integration of the database that would have over 45 million individuals in the corporate tax net.

The JTB secretary also informed that the board had completed the building of a new TIN registration system, which is an integration of TIN numbers of various organisations, describing the growth of the taxpayers’ database as a major goal of the JTB in collaboration with the FIRS.

Fowler said the launch of the new TIN registration system would make tax payment easier.

“When the integration of the new TIN registration system is launched, it will afford prospective taxpayers the opportunity to register for tax from the comfort of their homes and print their registration certificate,” Fowler said.

He expressed delight over the completion of the new TIN registration system, which he said would encourage transparency, efficiency and convenience in tax administration in Nigeria.

“I congratulate the JTB for finalising the new TIN registration system in record time. We now have a consolidated database for all taxpayers in Nigeria. If you (taxpayer) go to any other country or visit another state in Nigeria and they want to check your tax status, what they need do is to touch a button.

“We want to assure all taxpayers that we are ready to serve them more with technology, convenience and accountability,” Fowler stated.