Nigerians Blast FIRS’ Plea For Early Payment Of Tax

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

Criticisms have trailed the appeal by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, to businesses in some sectors to turn in their annual returns before the due date.

The tax body had on Saturday, asked some sectors in telecommunication, finance, e-Commerce, supermarkets, manufacturers/ processors of certain products to pay their annual returns to enable the Federal Government cushion the effects of the economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The appeal has not gone down well with many Twitter users who argued that the initiative of the Nigerian tax authorities was at variance with that in other countries who are at this period offering palliative measures to businesses and their citizens.

Some Twitter users also argued that the businesses mentioned by FIRS are experiencing low revenues, occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Other twitter users accused the FIRS leadership of not showing creativity at this period of time.

GreenWhiteGreen gathered some of the tweets:

@cchukudebelu tweeted: “The statement from the FIRS chairman begs the question, “does he understand how the wider economy works”. We does he assume that with less businesses in operation, there will be more phone calls – & hence, more revenue for telecom firms?”

@ronaldnzimora tweeted: “Buhari’s FIRS on it own determined that business are “experiencing boom” during a pandemic and then went ahead to ask for taxes to be paid EARLY, based on the figment of it’s own imagination.LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!”

@Naijadailyfeedx tweeted: “Nigeria is just a country powered by Idiots. After failing to diversify the economy, stealing every aid and returned loot this government feels the best way to make more money this period is to use the FIRS to tax companies barely surviving in order to support their cash flow gap.”

@Emmasoft tweeted: “I try to reason with Muhammed Nami and #FIRS but I can’t just comprehend the wisdom in the context of what I just read, to draw a balanced equilibrium on this statement traumatizes my reasoning. The victims already support the govt with billions of naira. I my even making sense?”

“The FIRS chief is a joker. So he really thinks business revenue jacked up enough in times of lockdown to be talking taxes? A govt that refused to assist business and people instead seeking donations is talking taxes in times like this?  Where do these guys come from?”

@IamTheIroko tweeted: “The FIRS chief is a joker. So he really thinks business revenue jacked up enough in times of lockdown to be talking taxes? A govt that refused to assist business and people instead seeking donations is talking taxes in times like this?  Where do these guys come from?”

@daemperor007 tweeted: “FIRS wants companies experiencing “boom” to pay taxes earlier than normal so that govt can bring palliatives to taxpayers that they didnt bring palliatives to when they specifically outlined a lump figure earlier as palliatives.

I dont think FIRS operates from Nigerian shores.”

@mrrebelxo tweeted: “FIRS boss sat in Wuse Zone 6 and guessed that supermarket and telecos are making more money, we are not working, government didn’t give us palliatives, how ? We clamoured for diversification, Buhari and his cohorts looked away, defending this government is the hardest job ever.”

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