Edo Tax Defaulters To Get 50 Per Cent Waivers

The Edo Government has approved 50 per cent waiver for tax defaulters in the state.

A  statement by  the Interim Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Godwin Obaseki, John Mayaki, and made available to news men on Sunday in Benin said the moratorium  had its terms and conditions.

The statement said all the outstanding tax liabilities  up to December 1, 2016 must be paid within 90 days, adding that debts were running  running into billions of naira.

It  also said that Obaseki’s gesture was meant to  encourage them to join the pool of 10 per cent who pay taxes in the state in addition to tidying  up  the tax system.

It added that the gesture was announced at the end of a meeting between the state government and other stakeholders such as the Edo State Inland Revenue service (EIRS) and tax payers in the state.

According to the statement, the governor’s action is in response to concerns raised about wrong profiling and arbitrary tax assessment, adding that the tax payers complained of being “set on edge in the face of the economic recession”.

The statement stated that the governor had promised that the tax administration would be reviewed to check the perceived abuses and arbitrariness in tax assessment in the state.

It quoted the governor as giving his assurance that there would be adequate deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and trained personnel handling the various offices of EIRS in the state.

The governor in the statement also stated that an online portal where tax payers could assess and file their tax returns effortlessly would be set up in the next six months