To mark Nigeria’s Children’s Day, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is educating future taxpayers in the country with its publication, ‘Taxation: Essential Knowledge For Nigerian Children’.
A study by FIRS indicates that only 19 per cent of Nigerians pay taxes, a low record compared to other African countries. To ensure tax compliance amongst Nigerians and develop tax as a reliable revenue generator for Nigeria, FIRS launched the publication to propagate, encourage, and educate young Nigerians (primary and secondary school students) on the benefits of taxes, and to be tax compliant.
While data indicates that many Nigerians do not pay taxes, the reason is not farfetched. The inability to trace where their taxes go and what they are used for, and the inability to benefit from the taxes paid, has left Nigerians wary of taxes and taxation.
However, Associate Professor and Special Adviser, Research and Statistics to FIRS, Aisha Hamman, has said a responsible and adult tax-paying Nigerian can demand accountability from the government on taxes paid.
Hamman who represented the executive chairman of FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji, at the public presentation of the book, said that while FIRS mandate is the collation, accounting and remittance of taxes, not the implementation or accounting of taxes collated to the public, it does on occasion call government’s attention to ensure that tax payments are used judiciously.
Meanwhile, FIRS is building a future and tax-compliant generation that will help boost the nation’s economy via various initiatives and partnerships with both the government, individuals or corporate organisations like the Arojah Royal Theatre and Sprezzatura Publishing, their partner organisations for the public presentation of ‘Taxation’.
“It is easier to make young Nigerians tax compliant than to reform tax-dodging adults. Hence, we support initiatives like publications, and stage drama as we saw today. What we are trying to do is to raise children who are tax compliant, so that in the future they will hold government accountable,” said Hamman.
With the support of FIRS Sprezzatura Publishing, over 60,000 copies of the book have been printed and will be made available to schools across the country’s six geopolitical zones at no cost. Copies of the book were gifted to every participant at the event, including students from the 12 FCT schools in attendance.
Managing Director of Sprezzatura Publishing and Editor of ‘Taxation’, Abubakar Mohammed Sani, said the book addresses the need for books on tax education for children, which are currently few to non-existent.
To make the vast field of tax operation and its technical jargon comprehensible to preteens and young adults, co-author and technical adviser Broadcast media to FIRS Executive Chairman Arabinrin Aderonke said she, co-author Ejura Haruna, and the publisher deployed illustrations to complement the simple-worded texts to keep them interesting and prevent young readers from having to consult the dictionary at every sentence.
“The book addressed ‘education tax’ concerns for children. Part of the revenue collected goes to education, especially TETFUND. When they are adults and are in tertiary institutions, the amenities they enjoy in school are funded via the education tax,” averred Aderonke.
Other issues covered in the 138-page book include civic responsibility, the history of taxes, the importance of taxes, why we need to pay taxes, the uses of taxes, and what citizens can do to ensure the judicious use of taxes paid. It further reviewed the administration of the current Executive Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, the tax reforms he has carried out, and their impact on the nation.
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