The executive chairman of Kwara State Internal Revenue Agency ( KWIRS), Shade Omoniyi, has lamented that lack of adequate information and knowledge on the part of the taxpayers have been hindering the performance of the agency.
She, therefore, urged residents and organisations to ensure the payment of their taxes as and when due to avoid being sanctioned by the agency.
Omoniyi spoke yesterday in Ilorin , the state capital at a one-day sensitisation programme organised by her agency to reawaken citizens’ responsibility in tax payment compliance and enlighten them on new tax reforms.
The programme had in attendance, representatives of private industries, small and medium business owners, professional bodies, ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and individual taxpayers.
Omoniyi said the workshop became necessary due to the agency’s observation of a lack of adequate information and knowledge on the part of the taxpayers.
“Taxation, as we all know, is the lifeblood of any economy. It is through the faithful payment of taxes that the government can provide critical infrastructure, quality education, healthcare, and other essential public services.
“However, tax compliance remains a significant hurdle. Addressing this challenge requires deliberate strategies, collaboration, and continuous stakeholder dialogue.
“Today’s programme has been thoughtfully designed to address some of the pressing issues surrounding tax compliance and to provide practical insights for all stakeholders,” she said.
Delivering a paper on the implication of non-compliance, the head of the Corporate Planning Department, Muhammed Audu, said failure to pay tax, underreporting income, non-filling annual returns, overstating deductions and not remitting within record time attract penalties such as N50,000 for individuals and N500,000 for corporate organisation or six months imprisonment.
