FIRS Teams Up With EFCC To Tackle High Profile Tax Defaulters

* Generated N5.32 trillion revenue in 2018

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is collaborating with
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to
check tax evasion by high profile individuals in the country.

Head of Audit at FIRS, Mr. Ajayi Adepoju, said the organization
was enlisting the support of the EFCC to ensure that all taxable
individuals pay whatever they are supposed to pay to
government.

He spoke during a media chat organized by Voice 89.9 FM Chapel
of the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ), in Ado Ekiti on Friday.

He described tax evasion as a serious economic crime that must
be tackled by all relevant stakeholders to enable government
generate revenue to meet the needs of the people.

Those who fail to comply, he said, would be prosecuted in
consonance with the extant laws no matter how highly placed.

Adepoju revealed that FIRS generated a tax income of N5.32
trillion last year.

The FIRS chief advised the Ekiti State government to look more
inward to boost its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

He also advised state government to massively develop the
agricultural sector, emphasizing on annexing the forestry base of
Ekiti.

The FIRS director also revealed that the tax base of Ekiti is
poor and thus advised that the government should take a painstaking
effort to explore the mineral deposits in the state.

Exploring the mineral resources of the state, according to him,
would help boost its tax income and provide more money to meet the
needs of the people.

Adepoju added that he, in collaboration with Ado Progressive
Union (APU), is working on different workshops to equip youths with
skills that will greatly impact their means of livelihood.