The FCT Tax Practitioners Association (FCTTPA), has called on Nigerians to contribute to the development of the country by paying their taxes.
Mr Oduwa Joseph, Chairman of the association, made the call at the association’s Tax Enlightenment Programme and End of the year celebration, in Abuja.
He said that it was important for citizens to be responsible in their duties, as it would assist the government with funds to execute its activities and developmental projects.
According to him, the provision of health, education, infrastructure among others, are important to achieving a functional society, as such the cost of running these services should not be left to the government alone.
“This awareness is in preparation of the forthcoming annual returns, which is now compulsory as the Acting Chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service emphasized the penalty of five million naira on persons that default to file annual returns.
“We as an association, do not want any of our members to fall into this net of penalty payment and the consequences that do follow, that is why we organised this event to prepare them for the future and for them to know what is expected of them.
“It is a win-win situation when Nigerians pay their taxes because when they pay their taxes, they will have the moral justification to challenge the government to explain how their taxes was spent.
“Secondly, when they pay their taxes, government will have the resources needed to provide the most needed infrastructure for this country.
“If you are a citizen of Nigeria and you are not paying your taxes, then you are not fit to be called a Nigerian because you have defaulted in your civic responsibility,” he said.
For his part, the Acting Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), Mr Haruna Abdullahi, said that it is important for citizens to contribute to the development of the states they reside, by paying their taxes.
Abdullahi, who was represented by Mr Malik Tukur, Director of Tax Operations, FCT-IRS, said the services was committed to providing taxpayer-centred services as it would not hesitate to take punitive measures against defaulters.
“In the FCT, the provision of light, clean healthy water, waste management is done with tax payers money.
“So if the citizens do not contribute to the purse of the government, they do not have the right to ask what the government is doing with their money.
“So it is that era we want to have a change, whereby people can be accountable for their actions,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Sani Abdulrasheed, Secretary of the Association, urged eligible tax payers to assist the government to develop the country by paying their taxes as at when due.
“I will advice eligible tax payers to try as much as possible to help the government to make money.
“This is because if we have about 60 per cent of tax payers fulfilling their tax payment, the government will not have any reason to borrow money.
“Presently, the people paying their taxes are less than 10 per cent of the eligible tax payers and if government are making money from this 10 per cent, imagine if we have 60 per cent turn over, there will not be need to borrow money.
“So I want to encourage people to as much as possible help the country to grow,” he said.