₦airaland Forum

EasternLionn:
Guy you closet tribalist.
Big otondo.

c33b33:
Is there any ethnic group that is been forced to join Biafra? Definitely not the Yorrobber. You are spewing rubbish because your brain has run out of what to say

Crying? Hahahaha you are the one disturbing yourself when you see Biafra. Baboon!

Swerve to one nigeria? Sorry I can't. I must be doing so well for people to keep accusing for been a recruited mouthpiece. I am honored.

IPOB Youth

dmater:
Your mischievousnesss is still taking a greater part of you. Simply provide evidences that Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB are violent.

For some years now that RB/IPOB have operated, have they in any way killed or inflicted injury on your anonymous people?

Explain to your readers how you and your people have helped to curb the hate messages and great killings that have been going on for decades in the North if you are not a mischievous coward?

Also, show us how you challenged the threat by Oba Akiolu to drown a peace-loving people in the Lagoon if they refused to vote for his ordained gubernatorial candidate in Lagos.

What did your 'patriotic' self do to counter the American doctor Ariyo who sought ethnic cleansing on Igbos?

c33b33:
My grandmother is alive and very much older than your useless nigeria, I don't need to ask my father because I know already and that's why I will not allow my children end in this useless invention of a drunkard and a prostitute.

Ask your father why your great grand parents and grand parents were too weak to stand against the Hausa Fulani in Kwara state.

Your generation can end in nigeria because I know the DNA you are carrying and passing along is filled with cowardice.

IPOB Youth

dmater:
Hater, your silly claims will make sense if you can post the threats and venom of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB.

Remember, to explain to your readers how you and your people have helped to curb the hate messages and great killings that have been going on for decades in the North if you are not a mischievous coward?

Do Not Be Provoked To Retaliate

_{by ENDS | Every Nigerian Do Something}

6th September, 2015

This is an important message especially to Hausas and Fulanis, the intended targets of Radio Biafra’s plotted terror.

Do not be provoked, do not be tempted to retaliate. Leave it to the government and justice system to answer to harassment and murder of your people by Radio Biafra maniacs. Do not be played in the usual games that mischievous elements have played and used to provoke chaos over the years.

We have been following recent broadcasts from Nnamdi Kanu’s Radio Biafra. The terror group has been apparently joyous since the events that led to about half a dozen deaths in Onitsha on Sunday 30th August. While the details of the events that led to the deaths are being investigated, the Nigerian Navy has denied it shot directly at protesting IPOB persons. We have no idea if they were shot at, if they were injured and died as a result of a stampede when the navy fired into the air to disburse them after ‘they had overrun a police post.’ Or if certain unscrupulous Radio Biafra terrorists shot at their own people as many of their conversations have suggested they have the capacity to and as is common in world history.

The true details of Sunday the 30th will come out after the Buhari government, concludes its investigation. However what we are aware of is a plan to terrorize Nigeria in reaction to the incidents and this plan by Radio Biafra is in full effect, as several public conversations of the station have indicated.

Callers on Radio Biafra have been plotting to kill Hausas and Fulanis in Igbo states with intention to provoke a retaliation against innocent Igbos in other parts of Nigeria in hope of using this to “provoke chaos and drive Igbos home to Igbo-land.”

These people supported Goodluck Jonathan and his army chief/thief Azubuike Ihejirika during their campaigns that led to the deaths of thousands of innocent Nigerians and now they are angry that a war is being waged against corruption and terror and Nigeria is finally in recovery and they are desperate to provoke trouble. We must not let them.
http://ends.ng/do-not-be-provoked-to-retaliate-no-matter-what-radio-biafra-does-protect-igbos/

Revolva:
thank you but the idea of biafra i dont think it will ever happen....till i die..... what am wishing to see is igalas n idomas join force to stay in one state thats all i want

Okonjo-Iweala warns on multiple taxation retention

_{Published Monday, April 20, 2015 | Latest News in Nigeria}

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned the incoming administration on the danger of retaining the multiple taxation regime, saying such move would be injurious to businesses and ultimately reduce revenue to government.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, addressed a group of Nigerian journalists at the end of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/ World Bank Group meetings in Washington DC, United States, on Monday.

She said, “In our economy, there are entities charging all manner of fees, from the Federal Government, Ministries, Agencies, to the states and local governments. They are too many and sometimes they don’t raise the kind of revenue that is needed."

“However, there is an ongoing process to harmonise these multiplicity of taxes, as well as rationalize them so that businesses and individuals do not feel that they are being constantly taxed.

“The key thing is that the taxes that raise revenue for the economy (the VAT for example) has not been used as a policy. We will probably raise far more revenue than all these small taxes that are being raised. To harmonise, streamline and do away with most of the existing fees and charges, we need to focus on those taxes that will yield the revenue necessary for growth of the economy.”

The minister said her position on the review of the nation’s tax system is supported by state governors, who at their last National Economic Council meeting recommended the option. http://www.nigerianeye.com/2015/04/okonjo-iweala-warns-on-multiple.html

size40:
Without wasting time, they should all be killed

POLICY DIALOGUE - Multiple Taxation: Lagos State Government Assessment And Response
_{by Ade Ipaye, then Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State, On Taxation & Revenue (former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State)}

... Most countries have a wide array of taxes, each of which is applicable in clearly defined circumstances. The proliferation may however be more noticeable in federalist countries like Nigeria. By virtue of powers conferred by the 1999 Constitution, taxes and levies in Nigeria are charged at three levels, i.e., Federal, State and Local. This follows a demarcation of functions among the three tiers and the distribution of legislative powers between the Federal and State Legislatures. In this respect, we should note that Local Government Councils are only empowered to make bye laws as may be permitted by the relevant State Legislature.

This constitutional arrangement makes it inevitable that various taxes would be charged at the three levels....

We admit however that too many taxes are bad for business as the efforts required to comply, as well as the total tax liability may drive up the cost of doing business and deplete profits, thereby adversely affecting the competitiveness of the business entity in question.

Brief History
Complaints of multiplicity of taxes first became prevalent in Nigeria of the late 1990s during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. Revenues from oil dwindled as prices fell on the international market and allocation from the Federation Account became inadequate for many States and local government councils, even for the payment of civil service salaries.

In response, the Military Governors adopted what was then known as ‘Accelerated Revenue Generation Programmes’ and appointed consultants to audit businesses and recover various taxes which the businesses had failed to pay. These typically included payroll taxes (which ought to have been deducted at source and remitted to the State Government under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system) and withholding tax on contracts, interests, rents, leases and directors? fees. Once established, accumulated tax liabilities were claimed by government and defaulters had their premises sealed off. At the same time Local Government Authorities also made concerted efforts to collect sundry levies which they had hitherto neglected, leading to an outcry by the organized private sector (e.g., Chambers of Commerce and Manufacturers? Associations).

The major complaint was mainly that taxes and levies were being imposed on corporate bodies by States and Local Government Authorities, even when they had already paid Companies Income Tax. The presumption that companies were only subject to federal taxes was, however, faulty. Be that as it may, Local Government levies were considered particularly intrusive as many were unknown, unpredictable and administered without any verifiable basis or supporting legislation. These were made even more annoying and disruptive of business with many local authorities setting up road blocks at which they arbitrarily enforced payments and impounded vehicles.

Being against the State and Local Governments, complaints of multiplicity of taxes were typically laid before the then Federal Military Government (FMG). That Government had, as usual, suspended essential provisions of the 1979 Constitution and combined both executive and legislative powers. It had also conferred on itself the power to make laws for any part of the country on any matter whatsoever. In the final analysis, the FMG sought to bring the situation under control by promulgating three Decrees. The first two were amendments to the Personal Income Tax Decree of 1993 (now Cap P8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) whereby the Federal Government created tax agencies (Boards of Internal Revenue and Local Government Revenue Committees) for States and Local Government Councils respectively and strictly defined the circumstances in which Governments may use tax consultants.[1]

The second legislative response was the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Decree No. 21 of 1998 which set out a list of taxes and levies to be collected by the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Government Councils respectively. Apart from making illegal any tax or levy not included in the list, the Decree also prohibited the use of road blocks for tax collection and enforcement. Were the Constitution to be in force at the time, it is our view that these Decrees would have been unconstitutional, null and void. Indeed, the Taxes and Levies Decree recognized this fact by prefacing its provisions with the phrase “Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979 as amended, or in any other enactment or law . . .”

Recent Tax Reforms in Lagos State
In Lagos State, we have paid close attention to this issue and found that the major problem, especially at the local government level where they were most rampant, were of illegal levies and fake tax collectors. We also found that even with levies that could be genuinely supported by legislation, some unscrupulous revenue officers were in the habit of including unauthorised heads of charge, varying the amounts payable to facilitate unlawful negotiations and extorting bribes from taxpayers. We came therefore to a conclusion that stricter controls were required..

Read the rest here: http://myndff.org/policy-dialogue/multiple-taxation-lagos-state-government-assessment-and-response-2/

Effect of Multiple Taxation on the Performance of Small and Medium Scale Business Enterprises.
_{(A Study of West African Ceramics Ajeokuta, Kogi State) | By J.F Adebisi, Director- General, Nigerian college of Accountancy, Jos, Nigeria and D.O. Gbegi, Department of Accounting, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria | Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2039-9340(Print) ISSN 2039-2117(Online)}

In recent times, the world economy has developed tremendously and this has been linked with activities of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), especially in developing countries. A Study carried out by the Federal Office of Statistics shows that in Nigeria, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises make up 97% of the economy (Ariyo, 2005).

Although smaller in size, they are the most important enterprises in the economy due to the fact that when all the individual effects are aggregated, they surpass that of the larger companies. The social and economic advantages of small and medium scale enterprises cannot be overstated.

Panitchpakdi (2006) sees SMEs as a source of employment, competition, economic dynamism, and innovation which stimulates the entrepreneurial spirit and the diffusion of skills. Because they enjoy a wider geographical presence than big companies, SMEs also contribute to better income distribution. Over the years, small and medium scale enterprises have been an avenue for job creation and the empowerment of Nigeria’s citizens providing about 50% of all jobs in Nigeria and also for local capital formation.

Being highly innovative, they lead to the utilization of our natural resources which in turn translates to increasing the country’s wealth through higher productivity. Small and medium scale enterprises have undoubtedly improved the standard of living of so many people especially those in the rural areas (Ariyo, 2005).

However, the mortality rate of these small firms is very high. According to the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) Nigeria, 80% of SMEs die before their 5th anniversary. Among the factors responsible for these untimely close-ups are tax related issues, ranging from multiple taxations to enormous tax burdens etc. In many government policies, small and medium scale enterprises are usually viewed and treated in the same light as large corporations. However, their size and nature makes them unique. Therefore, in dealing with small and medium scale enterprises, these unique qualities need to be considered.

In levying of taxes for these enterprises in particular, issues that need to be considered are how these tax policies can be designed to bolster the growth of SMEs and the most effective ways to administer them. The importance of SMEs as a mechanism of economic growth and development is often ignored.

They are perceived as minute establishments, that have minimal effect on the state of the economy. However, if favorable environment is created for these SMEs to grow through proper regulation, the SMEs sector has the highest propensity to transform our economy.

In the same light, taxes are important for the government as they are the major source of funds for government expenditure. Income obtained from taxation of individuals and businesses are used to run governments as well as provide infrastructure such as good roads, water supply, and electricity which are essential for the smooth running of these businesses that are mainly manufacturing companies and as such rely on these commodities to survive.
Read the rest here:http://www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/310/326

dmater:
Can you prove your allegations?
All the years that they have been conducting their campaigns in peaceful manner, have they at any time killed or maimed any of your tribesmen?

Can you tell us how you and your people have helped to curb the hate messages and great killings that have been going on for decades in the North?

If you do not have a sensible talk it pays to keep silence instead of vomiting unprovoked hatred on someone who has done you no wrong. You need to consider your ways seriously.

Klinee:
The northern Igala are more affiliated to the the northerners, therefore the possibility for them to be part of biafra is very small. But the southern Igala are more affiliated with the easterners, so for them to be part of biafra is very high because they communication with the igbos more. I dont know why you are ranting around, Igalas never for one day hate Igbos and Igbos never hate Igalas, they see themselves as brothers.

seunmsg:
@ the part in bold, are you joking or just ignorant? On what basis will they raise the new/additional assessment? It seems you are very ignorant of how tax assessments are done. FYI, most companies file their tax returns based on self assessment. When FIRS receive the return, they review it and determine if your return is adequate for that type/size of company. If they are not satisfied, they can carry out a tax audit and on that basis, raise additional assessment on the company.

Stop arguing unnecessarily, tax audit is backed by all relevant tax laws. If your company is not satisfied with whatever assessment that was given to them, they can approach the tax appeal tribunal.

Bevista:
[s]They are not alarmist. Unlike you, I run an SME so I know the challenges faced on a daily basis by most of my colleagues and myself, within the industry.[/s]
I will hesitate to join issues with you @ the bolded. I can see you overate yourself without knowing what others are doing.

[s]So 30% company tax is low to you??!! Wow![/s]
In my comment, I used the term "relatively lower". So yes, compared to most other countries, out corporate tax is relatively low

[s]And who told you Nigerians do not pay property tax? What is Land Use Charge and Tenement Rate meant to be? [/s]
Atleast it is not enforceable country-wide like most other countries

Bevista:
I take it that you consider the system is being currently run efficiently. Since, in your judgement, there are no leakages and loopholes currently in the way we implement our fiscal policies, I will not insult your sensibilities by trying to mention them.

Bevista:
This is exactly why I support efficient and prudent fiscal policies. If we block all loopholes and leakages from even the abysmal business environment which we currently have, Nigeria should generate more revenues than we are currently generating. This revenue will hence be used to invest in infrastructure that will attract and encourage more investment. More investment will lead to widening of the tax base and thus result in more tax revenue.

Bevista:
Your comments throughout the thread has been particularly negative. While I do appreciate that you raise some salient points, most of your comments appear alarmist.

Nigeria still has a relatively low Company Income Tax (@ 30%) compared to other countries. Our VAT is still a miserly 5% when Ghanians pay as much as 17%. We don't even pay ridiculous taxes such as Property Tax, Vehicle Tax, etc.

Bevista:
South Africa generates more revenue from Taxes than we generate from Oil. If South Africa with a GDP of $350b and a population of 45million can have an annual budget equivalent to N10Trillion, then why should Nigeria with a GDP of $560b and a population of over 170million have an annual budget of less than N5Trillion? Just plain embarrassing!

GabrielSuswam:
Nice job...

Most Firms evade tax in Nigeria

Diversification Loading...................................

Bevista:
AlphaBeta loading...

VonBismark:
really what's it with u and the igala, idoma? Did anybody tell u dat they must join? Its up to them nobody is forcing any tribe? Ha! And the fact that u even understand igbo makes u enigmatic considering ur comments which kinda shows ur soft spot or will I say love for igbos the pple u claim to dislike. Hia! O di egwu o!

seunmsg:
Tax audit is a legitimate responsibility of the revenue generating body, (FIRS or SBIR). It is a statutory duty that has always been done in the past so, this is not new.

No tax auditor can increase your tax burden by hook or crook. The reality actually is that MOST companies in the country evade paying the appropriate tax due from them by hook or crook. The companies are the culprit here and not the tax authority.

when they know it takes 6 months to 2 years for WHT certificates to be issued by the same tax office!