FIRS Speaks On Going After  Skit Makers And Influencers Over Tax Payment

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said it has no plans to tax skitmakers, influencers and other digital content creators. The Special Adviser on Media to the chairman of the FIRS, Dare Adekambi, was quoted as saying that social media content creators and influencers constituted a major block of tax evaders. He said content creators and influencers constitute a significant block of tax evaders, adding that a law in Nigeria requires everybody who earns income to pay tax. Adekambi stressed that the FIRS would meet with content creators and influencers and make them see why they should voluntarily pay tax. But an official of the agency who spoke to some journalists anonymously on Monday, said skit makers are individuals who do not fall within the purview of the FIRS. The FIRS official stated that the agency does not tax Personal Income Tax but only collects Company Income Tax. He said: “FIRS does not tax Personal Income Tax; State governments do. “FIRS collects Company Income Tax. Only those who are corporate names and earn profit of N25 million and more are required to pay tax.”

FG Mulls Triple Ground Rent Charges For Unoccupied Property

The Federal Government says it will start charging owners of completed unoccupied houses triple ground rents instead of the single rate normally charged from three months after completion. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa said this in an interview with journalists during the continuation of site visits of housing projects constructed by the government and its agencies in Abuja. The projects are the Suleja (Dikko) Prototype, Public Private Partnerships Cooperative, Gwagwalada National Housing Programme and Guzape Federal Housing Authority (FHA) also under PPP arrangement. Dangiwa affirmed that the issue of completed unoccupied properties was prevalent in the FCT and some states of the federation while many citizens were in dire need of accommodation. “What is important now is that we want to take stock of all those houses then we will interface with the owners and find out what they want. “If they want to keep the houses unoccupied, the government will start charging them triple ground rent instead of a single ground rent that we charge,” he said. On the supervision of projects across the country, the minister said all state controllers would be empowered and given the proper tools and equipment to carry out their functions effectively. “The second thing is the issue of supervision, we have state controllers in every state of the federation. We want to empower them by giving them the tools they need in supervising any project within their vicinity,” Dangiwa said. The minister expressed satisfaction with what he has seen adding that each of the locations had their own peculiarities and issues. Commenting on the issue of BUA cement that announced a reduction in the price of its product but survey showed that the cost had not been brought down. The minister lauded BUA Company for taking the initiative to reduce the burden on citizens. “They have reduced the prices of their cement but most of the people who sell at higher prices are claiming that they bought it at higher prices,” he further said.