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Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS), has debunked the rumours making the round that it is engaged in multiple taxation, saying that the era of such an operation had long past.
RIRS has also unveiled plans to begin the collection of taxes from roadside traders and other players in the informal sector of the economy of the state.
Chairman of RIRS, Adoage Norteh, stated this yesterday, when he addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt, saying that the agency will go into extensive meetings with different trade groups in the state including transporters, petty traders and professionals.
Norteh dismissed insinuations that taxing players in the informal sectors would amount to double taxation, said RIRS under his administration, will never harass citizens as far as they do the right thing.
He said: “There is a lot of noise about multiple taxations. In the Rivers State Revenue Service, we don’t engage in multiple taxations. Multiple taxations have become a thing of the past since we came on board. And we insist that people should not be harassed provided they do the right thing”.
Speaking further, the RIRS stated that, to actualise the new plans, the service will go into a collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and other government agencies.
He said: “The idea of this meeting this morning is to unveil the new tax plan that we intend to carry out. It is not like we are not continuing with what we are doing, but we are going to face the informal sector. The informal sector are most of these people that do not have organised businesses.
“The challenge we have had in our system is that not a lot of persons understand what tax is. People think that tax is for some people into especially those who are working.
“For those who work in the media, your tax is deducted when your salary is being paid, but for the person who is in the informal sector makes more money that those working and he thinks he should not pay tax.
“The other part is that there is a lot of confusion over what is a tax and a levy. If you have to pay something for putting your store somewhere, that is not a tax. That is a levy and if you like, call it dues for putting your store there.
“Tax is compulsory for everyone that earns income. That is income tax. But, dues and levies are paid by only those, who perform such duties to incur those dues or levies”, he emphasized.
He, however, added that the agency introduced online payment for the convenience of the taxpayer and to eliminate touting. “We’ll try as possible as we can to see the taxpayers pay with ease”.
