By Elizabeth ADENUGA
the Executive Secretary of Joint Tax Board (JTB) Mr Oseni Elamah, says ongoing reforms by the board will address issue of double taxation in the country.
Elamah said this while speaking in Abuja on Friday.
He said awareness on the amendments to the Taxes and Levies Act and others efforts aimed at streamlining taxes collectible by various tiers of government were being promoted.
According to him, state governments are being encouraged to harmonise their tax laws to ensure that citizens do not suffer double taxation.
“The notion of multiple taxation is a misconception in the lexicon of the average Nigerian.
“What many refer to as multiple taxation occurs when more than one tier of government collects same or similar taxes from an individual or business.
“What we do have may be referred to as double taxation, albeit at the domestic level as the concept of double taxation are also present at the international level.
“While we recognise that there may have been instances in the past where taxpayers were double taxed, there are currently efforts to address this issue” he said.
Elamah said the board under his leadership intended to consolidate on the gains so far recorded and to also ensure that there was zero incidence of double taxation in the country.
He disclosed that JTB was also at the forefront of driving reforms of the existing tax laws to remove ambiguous provisions that might give rise to double or arbitrary taxation.
“Under the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC) and reforms initiatives of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), a number of proposed amendments have been made.
“It is expected that the outcomes of all these interventions will not only simplify but clarify the tax laws and create minimal room for the incidence of double taxation and more tax friendly environment,” he said.
