Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has reminded Nigerians that payment of tax is a civic duty and not a tip given to government.
He therefore, warned that defaulters will be named and shamed and made to face the full wrath of the law forthwith.
Mr. Osinbajo spoke on Friday while declaring open the Voluntary Assets And Income Declaration (VAID) in Abuja.
He said VAID creates a window that enables people to voluntarily declare their income so that they could be assessed and taxed.
“The Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme, VAIDS will be operated from July the 1st, 2017 until the 31st of March, 2018. It will be supported by an Executive Order that I will sign into law today. VAIDS will offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to those in default to regularise their tax affairs,” he said.
The Acting President spoke further, “Tax is not a tip given to government according to how we feel. It’s an obligation and a civic duty.
“Tax evasion is not just a civil matter, it is also is a crime. I think that we all must be familiar with the fact that in many countries of the wrld where tax revenues are used, it is because of the level of tax compliance which is enforced by law.
“We will also publish a tax defaulters list, to name and shame those refusing to do the right thing.
“The level of non-compliance suggests a fundamental problem across the nation and at all income levels. This has influenced our decision to recruit and train the 7500 Community Tax Liaison Officers who we saw a few minutes ago and some of whom we’ve heard from today. These young graduates will go back into every community and educate us all on the tax system and the duty it imposes on every economically active citizen.
“It is our collective duty to ensure that every adult citizen knows his or her duty to this nation. It’s interesting that despite differences in language and culture and even political persuasion, the subject of payment of taxes unites all Nigerians.
“Nigerians of all languages and tribes will demonstrate a remarkable degree of national unity when asked why they fail to pay taxes. In chorus they will declare in various tongues and dialect – we don’t pay because Government is not providing the services or ask, what are they doing with the taxes anyway? How do we know that the taxes will not be diverted?
“To support the VAIDS programme, we will create mass awareness, we will be conducting extensive sensitization workshops for professionals in Law, Accounting and Taxation, to enable them provide advice to the truly patriotic Nigerians who want to take advantage of this olive branch which is an offer of amnesty.
“I urge those who believe that they may be in default to consult with their professional advisers. I also urge you to consult with your spiritual advisers and you clearly understand that payment of taxes is an obligation in all the major religions.
“We need to do our civic duty with pride by paying the right taxes. Let us join together and defy the sceptics who are convinced that Nigerians will never pay taxes.
“These same sceptics are equally convinced that Nigeria will not progress. But together we can build this great Nation and finally attain the progress that we so earnestly desire and so richly deserve.”
