Fake Tax Clearance Certificates: Adeosun orders MDAs to authenticate certificates before payment

The Federal Government has mandated all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to authenticate all Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) presented by companies and individuals engaged in public procurement processes.

This directive is in response to the proliferation of forged TCCs purportedly issued prior to the automation of the certificates from 22^nd August, 2017. The validation of the TCCs will enhance the integrity of the tax system.

Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, in a Circular issued on Tuesday ordered the MDAs to authenticate all TCCs prior to making any payment. Electronic TCCS (e-TCCs) can be verified via logging into https//tcc.firs.gov.ng and taking the following steps: click on verify e-TCC, enter the TCC number and complete the captcha, and click on submit to view the TCC number entered.

It was indicated that for TCCs issued before 22^nd August, 2017, MDAs and other stakeholders were advised to forward a list of the companies and photocopies of the TCCs to the office of the Executive Chairman, FIRS for authentication. The FIRS has undertaken to verify the TCCs within 72 hours of receipt.

The Minister reminded Company Directors that possession is an offense. The now outdated manual system allowed production of forged TCCs. Companies and individuals in doubt as to the authenticity of their TCCs are advised to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularize, the minister said.

She added that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the FIRS will continue to work in partnership with government at all levels and stakeholders towards eradicating tax fraud and evasion.

The Federal Government, it will be recalled, had in January 2018 directed vendors of MDAs to display their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) on their invoices before payments are effected. The non-presentation of a TIN by the vendors largely contributed to leakages in revenue remittances, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT).