TheCable

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it has partnered with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after tax defaulters and has so far recovered N28 billion.

This partnership is coming after the close of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

The programme, which had offered tax defaulters room to regularise their taxes without prosecution, ended on March 31.

Speaking on Tuesday when he led a delegation of tax officials to the EFCC office, Babatunde Fowler, FIRS boss, said Nigeria is looking inwards to raise its economic base.

“Through the intervention of the EFCC, the agency has been experiencing a high level of tax compliance and it’s yielding positive results,” a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, FIRS spokesman, quoted Fowler to have said.

“When tax defaulters are reported and invited to your office (EFCC), we see results, we don’t know how you do it, but we are seeing results and people are complying.

“Recently, two banks came forward to comply on their own. I think that they must have heard words. We want joint assistance with the EFCC, especially now that VAIDS is over, to make sure that all tax defaulters get the lawful treatment.

“I want to let every taxable person in Nigeria know that we are ready to deploy all powers at our disposal to ensure that every tax defaulter is punished according to the law.”

In his response, Ibrahim Magu, EFCC boss, promised that the commission would always be ready to partner any agency, organisation or individual in fighting corruption.