@RABZY Tooooooooo BAD! One just can't understand most of our governmental officials. They are maintained by our tax payment and when there is an issue they can't even listen to you not to talk of reasoning. All they wanna do is to be vegenful and punitive. Damn the system! Damn the rubbish. Where on earth do they expect a retiree to pay PAYE.

blank:

According to Nigerian Tax laws, the person has to pay minimum tax. It is a flat rate.

Please can you cite the relevant portion(s) of that law?

Only in nigeria or rather only in lagos.Where will a jobless person get money to pay tax for?burglary and conning i guess.

No, however, if such person gets some unemployment benefit, that benefit could be taxed. this is not the case in Nigeria.

such a person z nt workin where cn such person got d moni 4rm, so z nt advice able.such a person z nt workin where cn such person got d moni 4rm, so z nt advice able.

Someone that is not employed pays no tax since there is no income to be declared.

on the other hand, if he is not employed but derives income from trade or any other form of business

he is liable to tax based on his income. This computed using the procedure prescribed by the Personal Income Tax Act of 2004.

Though there are plans to review the PIT ACT to be all encompassing in which people carrying out their Industrial Training will also pay tax.

Unless there is another source of Income, If not, then you can't give what you don't have

Should an unemployed person pay rent?

Eat?

Etc?

If so, then they should pay tax too, no?

The assumption here is that they have savings of some sort.

Obviously shouldn't and cannot pay income tax, but all other sort of taxes, they should pay.

What sort of tax code we adopt will deternine the tax liability.

If we go by our traditional tax code, liability is only on wealth and is assessed by asset holding. In this instance, an unemployed person should not be taxed.

If we go by progressive tax, which is what most countries use, this method is means-test (affordability) based. There is a baseline. Above the base line you pay tax is direct proportiin to your income band.

@OP, clarify what you mean by forced by Lagos State to pay tax.

Also, clarify what you mean by unemployed.

No

I haven't heard of unemployed persons paying tax, but if such is been done in some states especially lagos(as you said) then the government should be queried. Maybe it's the ACN guidelines (since you said lagos),and can you please list the other states you sure that practices this so that i can be sure if it is ACN system of govt. and probably have an insight of the system of governance of the party.

companies & individual should not even pay tax in 9ja becos dere government re just eating & wasting dere money.

Dere government re not doing anything 4 dem in 9ja

This is one issueon which I'm having a running battle with Lagos State govt. Let me give 2 instances

1) My wife though a prefessional in her own right does not work because she has to take care of our little children. However, I buy our property in both our names (at least I shouldn't cheat the woman now?). When it comes to getting the gov. consent, they insist she pays tax and I explain that she doesn't work to no avail. I'm actually very angry because I personally pay tax worth more than most people's entire salary.

2) I'm in the process of setting up a business for my wife. To obtain approval from the govt the same tax thing came up. I believe since I'm the one spending the money, my tax info shld suffice. I believe govt is just lazy for their own gain, because I don't think it takes much to verify that we are actually married.

What this policy does is to short-change women. Men who are willing to buy things jointly with their non-working wives are discouraged from doing so because of the hassles.

@topic,

You should be asking if the unemployed should be paid some form of Social Protection/Welfare allowance. That I can begin to imagine. Not this.

fake government scamming unemployed people in the name of tax. crazy government leaders with criminal mind.

<quote>

The One:
This is one issueon which I'm having a running battle with Lagos State govt. Let me give 2 instances

1) My wife though a prefessional in her own right does not work because she has to take care of our little children. However, I buy our property in both our names (at least I shouldn't cheat the woman now?). When it comes to getting the gov. consent, they insist she pays tax and I explain that she doesn't work to no avail. I'm actually very angry because I personally pay tax worth more than most people's entire salary.

2) I'm in the process of setting up a business for my wife. To obtain approval from the govt the same tax thing came up. I believe since I'm the one spending the money, my tax info shld suffice. I believe govt is just lazy for their own gain, because I don't think it takes much to verify that we are actually married.

What this policy does is to short-change women. Men who are willing to buy things jointly with their non-working wives.

</quote>

I've asked the OP to clarify somethings which are yet to be cleared and your situation falls in same line so I'm going to state the source of confusion and explain what you are faced with.

First of all there is a difference between "filing" or "submiting" a tax return and "paying" tax.

The filing is a set of questions that attempt to assess or determine if you earned income and whther or not it is taxable and what you are liable to pay if any.

So by asking your unemployed wife to file a tax does not necessarily mean she will pay tax.

Make sure you understand the tax codes and the status.

For instance, if you give your wife certain housekeeping allowance every month, make sure you do not report it as income. If you do it will be assessed for tax liability and depending on the amount could be taxed. This would mean you are taxed twice - through your paycheck and through your discretionary spending.

emmatok:

Well, weather you are employed or not.

You are required to pay VAT on some goods and services.

Tax system is univeasal, VAT is diffrent as everyone pays it when you pay for goods and services,however, you can only charge VAT if you have a VAT registred number,so its the bigger and more organized companies that would charge you for VAT refrence to goods and services.The supermarket by the conner would not charge you VAT if they dont have a VAT number.I believe the Tax OP is refering to here is them ones you pay when you earn money from working or doing Biz,ie Income tax and PAYE. so if you are not engaged in employment and dont work for yourself(Bussiness) then there is nothing to tax you on ie what is %20 of zero Income?? O ofcos so NO TAX .However there are some other monies you could pay weather you are working or not or earning or not,however these are NOT TAXES but LEVELS,people tend to confuse themselves with these terms.The Lagos state govt are one of the leading pioneers in 9ja when it comes to taxation,if U live in lagos and want to know or get all the info bout taxation go to thier tax office you would get al the info for free.i got this expirience first hand when I was stopped for my car steareo licence lol

@Negro

I understand what I'm talking about. This is not filing or whatever, it is PAYING. To them, there is no explanation, you either pay or get out. They tell the unemployed person to just do self assessment and pay. Note that they are not disputing the employment status, they just feel that for your name to appear on property papers you have to pay personal income tax. For the gov's consent thingy, if you don't have the tax papers of the person that sold land to you, you will pay theirs also. I don't have a problem with that but the tax papers of a husband should be enough for a couple buying property jointly in a case where the wife does not work.

@rabzy

Its very difficult to ascertain who really is unemployed in Nigeria, because of the very large people who work privately and at home.

I bought a car for my dad who is in his mid-sixties and has stopped working, the papers were in his name. He was apprehended by Kai officials in and was taken to their PWD branch. After we have resolved the issue with KAI, the Lagos state official there said before we take the car away we have to show evidence of having paid tax for three years which my dad does not have. Alternately she just taxed him a total of about 18k for three years which is the minimum he can pay.

All my explanations fell on deaf ears, i showed her my own tax card and all, but she said its not my name that is on the vehicle. She told us to go to a tax office and do an evaluation for my dad so that they can determine how much he would be paying or whether he would be exempted. We have not bothered to do that yet.

We sold the car and bought another one for him in my name.

@The One [Quote] This is one issueon which I'm having a running battle with Lagos State govt. Let me give 2 instances

1) My wife though a prefessional in her own right does not work because she has to take care of our little children. However, I buy our property in both our names (at least I shouldn't cheat the woman now?). When it comes to getting the gov. consent, they insist she pays tax and I explain that she doesn't work to no avail. I'm actually very angry because I personally pay tax worth more than most people's entire salary.

2) I'm in the process of setting up a business for my wife. To obtain approval from the govt the same tax thing came up. I believe since I'm the one spending the money, my tax info shld suffice. I believe govt is just lazy for their own gain, because I don't think it takes much to verify that we are actually married.

What this policy does is to short-change women. Men who are willing to buy things jointly with their non-working wives are discouraged from doing so because of the hassles.[/quote]


I think its time people “riot” over these devilish cheating/abuses by the LASG, using executive powers to harass and intimidate citizens all in the name of meeting a set “Tax collection Target”.

Let me add my junior brothers experience to the above:
He is Resident in the U.S for the last 5years and works there.
He pays his Tax there and has his Tax certificates to prove that.
His wife is currently working in a Telecom Firm in Lagos and pays her tax (deducted at source, on PAYE).
When he came to Nigeria last time, he bought a car and registered it, paying ALL required levies. He used it for 7weeks and gave the car to his wife to take the kids to school and do normal daily mummy-runs, before going back to his base in the U.S.

Before you could say “jack”, Lagos State Tax office brought a Tax liability “IN HIS NAME” to the tune of four hundred and twenty thousand Naira (#420,000:00)!
Ofcourse, he wasn’t even in the country by then. His wife told him and he said “it must have been an error on their system”.

A few months later, they threatened him with court action if he does not pay within two weeks!
He got their phone number and told them he cannot pay “double tax”, having paid tax where he is normally resident (and testified that he is willing to show them his tax compliance) and asked them what “business he transacted with them” in Nigeria or Lagos in particular, to warrant tax? He went further to ask where they got his details.

One of their staff later called his wife aside (she went there in person to present her own tax certificates) and told her that the government just “randomly picks” data from CAR REGISTRATION database and ‘slam people with fathom figures of tax”! The staff (wont mention the name) also said that they have been instructed to even impound the cars of such people if they fail to cough out the money.
Is this is Government by THUGGERY?

Now, one would wonder whether LASG has employed “Armed Robbers” as Tax officials!
Why is the government acting like a Despot?

Agreed that people MUST pay their Tax but should an individual who has no business dealings and don’t even live in Lagos, be forced to pay tax to Fashola at “gun-point” or with fear of loss of life and property?

We blame dictators all over Africa but a government that cannot even differentiate between "tax defaulters" and "innocent citizens" but would rather use force, violence and arm-twisting to get money from innocent citizens is DESPOTIC.

Guv. Fashola, as a seasoned Lawyer, knows better than these.
He should call his “goon-death squad” to order.
DO YOUR HOME WORK PROPERLY and stop harassing the innocent.
Well, my brother is waiting for the Thugs employed at the Tax office to charge him to court or to try impound his wife’s car so he can sue the shyte out of their silly ar.se.

lastpage:

@rabzy
@The One

I think its time people “riot” over these devilish cheating/abuses by the LASG, using executive powers to harass and intimidate citizens all in the name of meeting a set “Tax collection Target”.

Let me add my junior brothers experience to the above:
He is Resident in the U.S for the last 5years and works there.
He pays his Tax there and has his Tax certificates to prove that.
His wife is currently working in a Telecom Firm in Lagos and pays her tax (deducted at source, on PAYE).
When he came to Nigeria last time, he bought a car and registered it, paying ALL required levies. He used it for 7weeks and gave the car to his wife to take the kids to school and do normal daily mummy-runs, before going back to his base in the U.S.

Before you could say “jack”, Lagos State Tax office brought a Tax liability “IN HIS NAME” to the tune of four hundred and twenty thousand Naira (#420,000:00)!
Ofcourse, he wasn’t even in the country by then. His wife told him and he said “it must have been an error on their system”.

A few months later, they threatened him with court action if he does not pay within two weeks!
He got their phone number and told them he cannot pay “double tax”, having paid tax where he is normally resident (and testified that he is willing to show them his tax compliance) and asked them what “business he transacted with them” in Nigeria or Lagos in particular, to warrant tax? He went further to ask where they got his details.

One of their staff later called his wife aside (she went there in person to present her own tax certificates) and told her that the government just “randomly picks” data from CAR REGISTRATION database and ‘slam people with fathom figures of tax”! The staff (wont mention the name) also said that they have been instructed to even impound the cars of such people if they fail to cough out the money.
Is this is Government by THUGGERY?

Now, one would wonder whether LASG has employed “Armed Robbers” as Tax officials!
Why is the government acting like a Despot?

Agreed that people MUST pay their Tax but should an individual who has no business dealings and don’t even live in Lagos, be forced to pay tax to Fashola at “gun-point” or with fear of loss of life and property?

We blame dictators all over Africa but a government that cannot even differentiate between "tax defaulters" and "innocent citizens" but would rather use force, violence and arm-twisting to get money from innocent citizens is DESPOTIC.

Guv. Fashola, as a seasoned Lawyer, knows better than these.
He should call his “goon-death squad” to order.
DO YOUR HOME WORK PROPERLY and stop harassing the innocent.
Well, my brother is waiting for the Thugs employed at the Tax office to charge him to court or to try impound his wife’s car so he can sue the shyte out of their silly ar.se.

this is FRAUD, I beg you tell whom ever is responsible that you want to go to the TAX office or thier office to discos the issue and they should provide the invoice for you to pay in a BANK into a Govt account see if they wont slow,I dont know why people are so so sos o Ignorant in this day and age we just do follow follow,Tax is meant to be PAID monthly or yearly if they wher gonna charge you on something thats is workable ie no revenue derivatives or rather a TAX code then its a LEVy,if not then its fraud,the LAGOS STATE govt have a comprehenssive list of what TAX to pay and its available from thier TAX offix.SO if sombody or group of people are asking you to pay tell them you wanna go to court,you dont even need a lawyer.

Upright750:

fake government scamming unemployed people in the name of tax. crazy government leaders with criminal mind.

Corrupt officials trying out their LUCK on vulnerable people

@Erico2k2

this is FRAUD, I beg you tell whom ever is responsible that you want to go to the TAX office or thier office to discos the issue and they should provide the invoice for you to pay in a BANK into a Govt account see if they wont slow,I dont know why people are so so sos o Ignorant in this day and age we just do follow follow,Tax is meant to be PAID monthly or yearly if they wher gonna charge you on something thats is workable ie no revenue derivatives or rather a TAX code then its a LEVy,if not then its fraud,the LAGOS STATE govt have a comprehenssive list of what TAX to pay and its available from thier TAX offix.SO if sombody or group of people are asking you to pay tell them you wanna go to court,you dont even need a lawyer.

@lastpage

A few months later, they threatened him with court action if he does not pay within two weeks!
He got their phone number and told them he cannot pay “double tax”, having paid tax where he is normally resident (and testified that he is willing to show them his tax compliance) and asked them what “business he transacted with them” in Nigeria or Lagos in particular, to warrant tax? He went further to ask where they got his details.

One of their staff later called his wife aside (she went there in person to present her own tax certificates) and told her that the government just “randomly picks” data from CAR REGISTRATION database and ‘slam people with fathom figures of tax”! The staff (wont mention the name) also said that they have been instructed to even impound the cars of such people if they fail to cough out the money.
Is this is Government by THUGGERY?

Can you reconcile the red & bolded parts of your comment with same types in my narration?
While you may mean well, dont go around calling people "ignorant or follow-follow" without actually digesting what was written!

SHE WENT IN PERSON TO THEIR OFFICE!
What else do you think she could or should have done in that office aside shooting someone?
The point is this kind of fraud is "institutionalized in the govt of Lagos state".
It has official backing, as long as it yields more revenue to the state government, they have even been enforcing it with armed Policemen!

What would you say about those that have to pay tax to the Federal govt, state govt and Local govt on the same taxable item?
The govt knows its wrong but they just like to abuse their power over the "unarmed" citizens!

Thats why l called them a govt of THUGS!

My uncle told me that when he and his wife filed their taxes in Lagos that his wife had to pay tax of 700 naira even though she is a housewife.

For any thing that takes you to either local or state government in Lagos, you must provide a tax clearance or pay a minimum level of tax, whether you are unemployed or not. So yes unemployed people can be taxed in Lagos.

Why are you all opening your rotten teeth to complain here? Fashola is THE BEST GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA. IN FACT, HE'S THE BEST GOVERNOR IN THE WORLD.

Shebi you all carried your apathetic middle-class selves to the polling booths to vote for the Governor Taxemtodeath in April. You gets what you pays for, blud!!!

When we warned you that ACN is a tax and chop party, you pooh-poohed us and constantly shouted, "Lagos is Working, Fashola is Working". I hope him and his taxboys take ALL your money and give you people correct TAX RECEIPTS, so you can use them to pay for your over-inflated "Governor's Consents", C of Os and other such revenue generating stuff.

Finally, long may Fashola and ACN continue to collect these monies and plant flowers for you lot. Shebi na flower una like, abi? Yeye people. PDP is the devil ke, not so?

every body should pay tax; small or big little or great, dwarf or giant, tin or fat, dark or fair, ugly or beautiful, employed or unemployed born or unborn, dead or alive (so dat ego do them rubbish thieves)

@djustice

djustice:

Why are you all opening your rotten teeth to complain here? Fashola is THE BEST GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA. IN FACT, HE'S THE BEST GOVERNOR IN THE WORLD.

Shebi you all carried your apathetic middle-class selves to the polling booths to vote for the Governor Taxemtodeath in April. You gets what you pays for, blud!!!

When we warned you that ACN is a tax and chop party, you pooh-poohed us and constantly shouted, "Lagos is Working, Fashola is Working". I hope him and his taxboys take ALL your money and give you people correct TAX RECEIPTS, so you can use them to pay for your over-inflated "Governor's Consents", C of Os and other such revenue generating stuff.

Finally, long may Fashola and ACN continue to collect these monies and plant flowers for you lot. Shebi na flower una like, abi? Yeye people. PDP is the devil ke, not so?

@djustice. you have said it all and hope people will further open there eyes.

.

Does it matter if the tax laws are set by the federal govt? Yes, its level of implimentation is up lagos state to decide but then as someone said, filling of taxes is different from paying taxes. Filing n having a zero liability means Ɣ☺ΰ ® not liable to pay anything and ur tax clearaance card would reflect that. But soneone not employed doesn't also mean he can't pay tax, he might have share dividend he collects, he might collect rent from a property he inherited, he might be involved in some form of trade.

As regards the individual who brought in a car from yankee and was issue with a 420k tax, the nigerian tax law states that taxable income includes,"income earned in, derived in, accrued in or brought into nigeria. . ." That is the basis with which the car was being taxed using what is called, "best of Judgement" assessment. The information provided by the individual at the tax office is not totally true.

If there are anymore questions I'll be glad to explain or comment on them. But if any name calling or mudslinging occurs I reserve the right to ignore.