Cross River State Internal Revenue Service says it is clamping down on extortionists and increasing number of tax agents and collectors in the state.
Ayade Patrick, director of the state internal revenue service planning commission, has encouraged members of the public to resist forceful demand of multiple taxation from people who claim to be officials of IRS and verify from the commission whether they are authorised or whether the tax is domesticated.
Ayade spoke at an event organised by Oxfam Nigeria in collaboration with Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, with the theme “financing for development,” under Oxfam strategic partnership programme and media engagement on participatory budgeting and fair taxation in Cross River State.
Patrick encouraged that members of the public to protest unusual or multiple taxation and also demand to know if such were genuine by calling their public service numbers for quick response, saying they now have a task force which has arrested a number of fake tax collectors.
Reacting to report of relocation of some firms from Cross River state to neighbouring Akwa Ibom State due to reported multiple taxation; he said such firms would meet the same tax laws wherever they fled.
“Companies fleeing the state do so out of ignorance. Such firms should have bothered to ascertain certain taxes or rates whether they are truly as high or from us. We need people to always communicate with us through any of our public numbers for help and confirmation. We encourage people to resist forceful extortions or demands for taxes. We know the state governor has used his executive power to exempt lowly paid or petty traders from paying taxes, which is however, against the tax laws.
He said that people could sue the IRS if they were unduly taxed, saying, however, that there are other forms of taxes called levies or assessments, including those from the federal or local government areas.
Patrick said as people that have paid taxes, women and community leaders should wake up and impress on government over poor public amenities as well as abandonment of projects
“You must constantly cry out to your local representatives, law makers in the state House of Assembly even the NDDC. Government may not readily know about poor state of schools, hospitals and other projects, you and others should constantly draw public attention. Without this, desired attention might not be forthcoming”, he said.
