Business
Nigeria Lost N5.4trn From Tax Evasion By Multinational- FIRS

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has revealed that Nigeria lost about N5.4 trillion between 2007 and 2017 through tax evasion by multinational companies operating in Nigeria.
Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr Muhammad Naru, disclosed this in a statement issued and signed by Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS on Monday after a “Workshop on Effective Audit of multinational corporations for Domestic Revenue Mobilisation in Nigeria,” organized by the Service in junction with the Tax Justice Network.
Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr. Muhammad Nami stated that “between 2007 and 2017” Nigeria was reported to have lost over US$178 billion (about N5.4 trillion at today’s rate) through tax evasion by Multinationals” doing business in the country.
He cited a 2014 report by the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, which stated that “Nigeria accounted for 30.5% of money lost by the continent through illicit financial flows.”
To check this revenue loss, the FIRS Boss said the service had created 35 additional Tax Audit Units in the country to stem illicit financial flow out of Nigeria and improve tax compliance rate.
Observing that some multinational corporations were “leading in tax compliance in various sectors” he was however worried that “many rich Multinational Corporations do not pay the right taxes due from them, let alone pay their taxes voluntarily.”
He charged participants at the workshop to come up with “a novel methodology that would be used to uncover illicit financial flows” and “provide an overview of related policy options for enhancing tax revenue collection in general.”
According to Nami, “at the FIRS, we are paying greater attention to tax audit in general and Transfer Pricing audit in particular in order to improve the level of tax compliance in the country”
He added that, “as a result, in the last one year, we have created more than 35 additional Tax Audit Units and deployed experienced and capable staff to take charge of these offices.
He further stated that with the signing of the 2021 budget of ¦ 13.588 trillion and given the recent decline of oil fortunes, “which had been the major revenue earner for the country, taxation is expected to continue to shoulder the government’s budget performance the way it did in 2020.”
Business
NCDMB, Dangote Refinery Unveil JTC On Deepening Local Content
Business
Food Security: NDDC Pays Counterpart Fund For LIFE-ND Project
Business
Replace Nipa Palms With Mangroove In Ogoni, Group Urges FG, HYPREP
-
Business4 days ago
CRG Partner JR Farms To Plant 30m Coffee Seedlings
-
Foods/Drinks4 days ago
What To Know About Your Menu
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
NDLEA Intercepts 584.171kg Hard Drugs In Bayelsa … Arrests 559 Suspects
-
Rivers4 days ago
Four Internet Fraudstars Get Different Jail Terms In PH
-
Business4 days ago
Food Security: NDDC Pays Counterpart Fund For LIFE-ND Project
-
Business4 days ago
PH Women Plan Alternative Stew, Shun Tomato High Prices
-
Sports4 days ago
Nigerian Athletes Serving Doping Bans
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
Ex-IYC President Lampoons Atiku’s Presidential Ambition … Declares It Negative Impact On N’Delta