From 2022 not having a TIN is a sin – Plateau tax agency says

By Kingsley Chukwuka

The Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, (PSIRS), has said starting from next year 2022, not having the Tax Identification Number (TIN), will be regarded as sin against the government.

PSIRS said people will be made to identify their TIN number before gaining access to public and private institutions.

Chairman of the Agency, Dashe Arlat, stated this in Jos Monday, while briefing journalists on the progress made by the PSIRS in the outgoing year.

“We are determined to double our revenue generation target in 2022 and measures have been put in place to capture all income earners in our data base.

“Not having a TIN will be treated as a sin in the State. Everyone from 18 years and above would be required to pay a development tax of N300.

“Construction companies and banks will also pay a tax of between N5,000 and N50,000. Everyone would be required to have a tax clearance certificate, this will boost the independent revenue of the State”, he said

The tax boss said the Agency is working with the Police to arrest all defaulters.

“The Police will be mandated to embark on stop and search and any adult who is not found with his TIN number will be prosecuted.

“Apart from that, we will intensify efforts to collect consumption tax from persons lodging and spending money in hotels and other accommodation outlets in the State”, he said.

While giving figures of revenue generated in 2021, Arlat stressed that the State has the potential to realize between N3.5bn to N5bn monthly if everyone comes on board.

“From January to November 2021, a total of N20,060,219,702.16 was received as IGR.

“Based on our assessment, Plateau has the potential to generate between N3.5bn to N5bn monthly as against our initial target of N2bn per month,” he said.

Arlat, who gave a breakdown of IGR accrued to the State between January to November 2021, assured that more efforts would be deployed to accrue more funds to the State in the coming year.