Cross River Revenue Service Cracks Down On Tax Evaders, Sensitises Local Govts

The chairman of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Cross River State, Edwin Okon, has urged chairmen of local government councils to establish Revenue Committees to handle tax assessment and collection.

This was stated by Dr Patience Egwu, head of Revenue Assurance at the IRS, during a sensitisation workshop on the new Nigeria Tax Law in Calabar.

Representing the IRS chairman, head of Revenue Assurance, in Cross River State, Dr Patience Egwu, stated that the committees constituted will be responsible for collecting taxes, fines, levies, and rates within their jurisdiction and will operate autonomously of the local government Treasury.

The IRS chairman warned against his staff collecting money directly from taxpayers, stating that such actions are unauthorised.

The IRS is also targeting churches with business ventures, such as schools and hospitals, to pay taxes on their profits.

Churches are required to deduct pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) taxes and remit them to the state government. Dr Egwu emphasised that pastors’ salaries should not be used to pay taxes; rather, taxes should be deducted from the salaries of employees earning between N700, 000 and N800, 000.

The IRS aims to improve tax compliance and revenue generation in the state.

Taxpayers are advised to be cautious and not pay cash to IRS staff or private accounts. The state government is committed to implementing the new tax law and ensuring that all taxable entities contribute to the state’s revenue.