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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Jim Pam Wayas, has said that the service will make use of bank transactions to track tax defaulters, especially those outside its tax net.
Wayas said the state is targeting N65 billion in internally generated revenue in 2026.
Speaking at a press briefing in Jos on Monday, Wayas said the focus of the projected revenue is to bring individuals outside the tax net into it, rather than increasing taxes for existing taxpayers.
He said that from 2022 to 2025, overall revenue performance showed a positive growth trajectory, exceeding targets in recent years, particularly in 2025, when the state hit the N40 billion mark for the first time.
Wayas said, “Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS): performance has significantly improved, reaching 94 per cent of its budget in 2025, the highest since its creation.
Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs): performance has been more varied. While MDAs achieved 100% of their budget in 2023 (the year the current administration came on board), there was a decline in 2024 (77%) and 2025 (70%).”
On the impact of new tax reforms, Wayas said that the new measures are designed to benefit taxpayers, not burden them.
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“Key benefits include increased grant relief allowance (capped at 500) and a higher threshold for zero-rated income (800,000 compared to 300,000).
“Capital gains tax has been reformed to align with income tax rates, potentially leading to zero tax for those in the zero-rate bracket.
“The PSIRS has improved in its operations by institutionalising and automating its processes, eliminating cash collection and reducing leakages.
On the challenges facing the revenue service, he said one of the major challenges is collecting revenue from mining due to the federal government’s exclusive control over mineral resources, stressing that efforts are underway to track individuals and companies involved in mining to bring them into the tax net, with a focus on using banking transactions as a lead.
He said that the service intends to reduce multiple taxation by leveraging the new tax laws.
He said, “The new tax law aims to reduce the number of taxes. The state has an MOU with local governments for a single demand notice, though implementation is challenging. The new Tax and Levies Act for the state aims to consolidate taxes for sub-nationals and local governments.
“Daily ticketing for tricycle riders has been a challenge, with non-state actors previously collecting fees. The state is working to bring this into the tax net through a single interstate policy and stickers, but jurisdictional issues between state and local governments persist. The aim is to have a single consultant manage this collection.
On prosecuting tax defaulters, the chairman said, “The administration’s approach is not to punish those already in the tax net but to bring others in. There are established legal procedures for dealing with defaulters, including demand notices and the option of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to settle liabilities outside of lengthy court processes.”
