FCT-IRS Introduces E-Tax Certificate To Check Evasion, Fraud

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service said it has introduced the Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCC) to checkmate tax evasion and activities of fraudsters who could forge such documents.

This was made known by the Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Mr. Haruna Abdullahi, during his engagement with the members of the House Committee on Public Accounts at the National Assembly on Tuesday in Abuja.

Abdullahi said that the E-TCC has made it difficult for anyone to forge such tax documents because of the introduction of QR CODE to the documents.

He said the initiative will help the agency avoid being short-changed as well as boost revenue for the FCT.

The FCT-IRS chairman further advised taxpayers to endeavour to declare their incomes accordingly with evidence that would be satisfactory to the managers of the tax authority while due diligence would be carried out appropriately within the stipulated time.

According to him, while issuing a tax clearance certificate, due diligence must be carried out to ensure certain conditions were met by the taxpayers and satisfied by tax authority.

“It is evident that the issuance of the TCC is at the discretion of the Service in its justification based on the items listed in section 31 of FCT-IRS Act, 2015 and PITA, 2011 (as amended) may issue or not issue a tax clearance certificate,” he said.

The Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts, Mr Oluwole Oke, urged taxpayers to report any violation of the law concerning the issuance of TCC to the management of FCT-IRS.

Oke said the FCT-IRS should see the legislative arm as a collaborator in ensuring the smooth operation of the Service.

“We will support you in whatever way to generate more revenue in the FCT, try to have record of all the people resident in Abuja, the data is important, ask for bank statement to know the actual tax to collect.

“We will support FCT-IRS and help the Service to bring more people to the tax net,” he assured.