Finance Minister: only 40 million Nigerians pay tax
Posted By: Kofoworola Belo-Osagie and Adenike Abayomi On: December 14, 2017

Out of 70 million taxable adults in Nigeria, only 40 million of them pay taxes, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has said.

She spoke at the first annual lecture of the Lagos State Professorial Chair of Tax and Fiscal Matters held at the Ade-Ajayi Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

Mrs Adeosun who chaired the lecture, said about 13 per cent of the active tax payers have their taxes deducted at source under the Pay as You Earn (PAYE) category.

She said tax policies cannot be rigid and needed regular reviews so that many more of the 30 million defaulters pay their taxes.



She said: “I have kept asking why the 30 million people have refused to pay taxes. Another major challenge is the fact that many Nigerians have other sources of income, yet they are only taxed only through the PAYE. Yet, they earn so much from part-time jobs, and extra businesses.”

According to the minister, new tax policies in the country must capture online businesses, entrepreneurship and others such as the film industry, otherwise regarded as nollywood.

Mrs. Adeosun, who reiterated the importance of taxation to national development, noted that every developed country has a well developed tax policy and that Nigeria cannot be an exception.

In his lecture titled: “Policy, Legal and Administrative Imperatives in the Quest for Eradicating Multiplicity of Taxes (MOT) in Lagos State” Prof Abiola Sanni of the UNILAG Law Faculty, lamented the intractable nature of “the phenomenon called multiplicity of taxes in Nigeria despite the effort aimed at addressing it and need to consider fresh interventions from the dimension of tax policy.”

Sanni said Lagos State had nine tax laws from which the government gets income but a review revealed that only three of them – hotel occupancy and restaurant law, land fees and land use charge, and wharf landing fees law are currently been administered in the state.

He further said the Federal Government should admit that an important aspect of Value Added Tax (VAT) on intra-state supply of goods and services was within the taxing powers of states and should be allowed to use it.

http://thenationonlineng.net/finance-minister-40-million-nigerians-pay-tax/

And most of them are even undertaxed. But wait o, I don't think 40 million people are "gainfully" employed in Nigeria.

Only 40million have jobs.

Madam find another lie. This one no work

True. Most people into business even fraudulently declare profits low so as to evade tax. The government should sustain its efforts in developing infrastructure, only then will the good in Nigeria have no excuse not to pay taxes.

But wealthy Nigerian crooks are another case entirely they do not want to pay anything at all.

littlewonders:
Madam find another lie. This one no work

littlewonders:
Madam find another lie. This one no work

Spotted

How many are employed

Stalwert:




Spotted

Paid man!

littlewonders:


Paid man!

Thank you!

stupidity is when ur advocating for more tax to be paid while the tax thats is been payed are stolen and used for private use my corrupt government officials

Does this woman also realise that over 80million Nigerians are stark poor and we only have 803 thousand people who are qualified to be called middle class in the country...Does she also realise that just slightly over ten thousand people own for 78 percent of the bank deposits in Nigeria and most of them are corrupt govt officials and civil servants ...for forty million people to pay tax in a country where only 10 thousand are chopping is a miracle in taxation and Nigerians should be commended jare

[s]

SalamRushdie:
Does this woman also realise that over 800 million Nigerians are stark poor and we only have 803 thousand people who are qualified to be called middle class in the country

[/s]

Na you born 800million Nigerians? To do opposition no mean say make you lie 24 hrs

Stalwert:
[s][/s]

Na you born 800million Nigerians? To do opposition no mean say make you lie 24 hrs

You should know I meant 80 million ...it as a typo and its been fixed

SalamRushdie:


You should know I meant 80 million ...it as a typo and its been fixed

With your antecedent, it is not hard to conclude that you will call black, white and vice versa..

SalamRushdie:


You should know I meant 80 million ...it as a typo and its been fixed

You see lying always involves error

She should go up North. Many adults over there do not pay tax

Stupidd woman, how many jobs did you create?

This bloody Afonja has come again.
Pay tax on top unemployment.

Today I saw two blind people fighting then I shouted "I'm supporting the one with the knife", they both ran away

every nigeria pay tax either direct tax or indirect tax. example of indirect tax is when you buy fuel you already pay tax. when you buy a bottle of bear you paid tax.

now back to direct tax. all poor nigeria masses that do business paid tax. it the rich politicains that doesn't pay direct tax. e.g buhari doesn't pay tax for cows business.

Yes, Nigerians pay Tax on some goods and services like other countries . But our VAT is one of the lowest in the world, especially on luxury items. What the honourable Minister is alluding to, is called Personal Income tax.
In fact in some countries, once you are above 18 years, you must pay tax. The amount may be zero naira or a certain percentage of all you earnings including gifts. That is where Nigeria should be and that is where we will be eventually.
Unknown to maNy, this is one of the structural change that is happening under this Govt. It may be slow but gradual...

https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/onesource/vat-gst-management/vat-increase-nigeria/

The IMF has recommended Nigeria increase the VAT rate and improve the tax collection. Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and has one of the lowest VAT rate's in the world at 5%. Nigeria is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and follows the ECOWAS model VAT law.Feb 12, 2016

Re the taxes paid by the gainfully employed used judiciously used?,nope I guess because a larger part of it is still pilfered/salted away..

In nkoli nwa nsukka voice ''ATU MU NGEGE''

Ifeanyi4491:
In nkoli nwa nsukka voice ''ATU MU NGEGE''

Ifeanyi, translate..

MONITZ:
Re the taxes paid by the gainfully employed used judiciously used?,nope I guess because a larger part of it is still pilfered/salted away..

Which one comes first? The chicken or the egg? You have to pay first before you complain. Have you ever paid tax? Have you ever received income or gift?

deji17:

Ifeanyi, translate..

google is everyone best friend

Ifeanyi4491:
google is everyone best friend

Ngwanu

deji17:

Which one comes first? The chicken or the egg? You have to pay first before you complain. Have you ever paid tax? Have you ever received income or gift?

Nope sir,I ain't done any of the above,I am very sorry for being too forward...

How many Nigerians feel government presence?

Yeye talk

In nkoli nwa nsukka voice ''ATU MU NGEGE''

MONITZ:



Nope sir,I ain't done any of the above,I am very sorry for being too forward...

Bro, I know you are being satiristic. But it is important that whatever we pay to Govt in form of tax is judiciously used. We have to hold Govt accountable, but payment of tax is the law. That is how Govt can fund development.