Business
Tax Compliance: FIRS Introduces Electronic Platform
The Acting Exeuctive
Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Alhaji Kabir Mashi has said that the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) would aid tax collection and compliance in the country.
Mashi who made this known during a sensitisation workshop organised by FIRS inconjuction with NIBSS and system specs in Lagos over the weekend said the system would be of immense help to the system.
FIRS boss said the service has deployed e-filing service and e-tax pay solution under ITAS to operate transparent and efficient tax system, adding that the present system would change the manual system of filling tax returns manually thorugh FIRS tax offices.
According to government agency mandated by law to access, collect and remit taxes accruable to the Federal Government, the e-filing system is a self-service system which enables tax payers to electronically file and submit their tax returns along with accompanying documentation.
The FIRS said the e-tax pay solution, which is an initiative put in place in collaboration with the Nigerian Inter Bank Settlement System Plc, was currently operational in all commercial banks.
He stated that the quest for simplification of tax compliance and ease of access of tax services led FIRS to recently roll out electionic filling servie under the project Intergrated Tax Administration System.
Mashi, who was repreented by the Director Internal Affairs Department. FIRS, Mr Achilles Amahwe, said, “We have not only tried to simplify filling, we have also gone further to enable our tax payers make payments electronically through the e-tax pay solution. This is an online self-service tax payment system, whereby tax payers can pay their taxes through banks’ internet banking platform.
According to him, the e-filing system services as a means of reducing time and cost of compliance for tax payers and reducing interface between tax payers and the tax authorities.
“It provides added conveniens for tax payers who can now sit in the comfort of their homes or office and upload their tax returns on the e-filling platform.
Mashi said the major objective of the FIRS e-tax pay is to ensure that tax payers that have successfully filed their returns through the e-filling service also use the e-tax pay solution to effect tax payment in a seamless end-to-end process.
Remita and e-Billspay are the two payment platforms that have been approved and adopted by FIRS to provide electronic tax payment channels that support this initiative. Remita is owned by System Specs and a-Billspay originates from Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System.