Rivers Begins Issuance Of Automated Tax Certificates

The authorities of the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue(RSBIR) have commenced the issuance of automated tax certificates to all tax payers in the state.
Chairperson of the RSBIR, Mrs. Onene-Osila Obele Oshoko made the disclosure to newsmen in her office on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
With the development, Mrs. Oshoko said, the agency has discarded the old manual tax clearance system which was prone to counterfeiting with a more reliable computerised one.
The new automated tax certificate process according to her, is in two categories- one for civil servants and those in service of government, and the other for the  self employed and private companies.
Those in civil service, she explained, are to get theirs through their various ministries.
“In line with our efforts at improving our service delivery, we have automated our Income Tax Clearance Certificate. What we have now is system-generated, which makes it easy to issue to the people’’, she said.
Onene Obele Oshoko also said that verification process for the Tax Clearance Certificate will now become easier, emphasizng that efforts were being made to ensure that applicants get their Tax Clearance in less than two weeks from the time of payment.
She, therefore, advised tax payers to make payments and annual returns through designated banks while urging them not to patronize persons who parade themselves as agents of the board.
“ Remember that nobody is expected to collect tax by cash from you. Tax is now paid through the banks in Rivers State. So, we urge taxpayers in the state to be weary of activities of these men”, the RSBIR boss declared.
She also cleared the air on persons masquerading as agents of the board, “ when they come to you, ask them of their identity cards’’.
Further noting that the board has opened dedicated phone lines through which taxpayers can verify information, she advised legitimate tax payers to report suspected fraudsters to appropriate law enforcement agents for arrest and prosecution.