PetroDolla2020:
Continue to deceive yourself, huh? Since Nigerians heard GDP they have not stopped cheering. Don't get carried away by this GDP thing,huh? What is the point in having a big GDP and yet have poverty all over the place?

I don't care if Ghana's GDP is $1 and yet Ghanaians can have quality education, health care, personal security, good life expectancy etc. Those are more important to me that just citing GDP that in reality means nothing. Paper GDP

What is Nigeria's annual budget, compared with Ghana? Ghana's budget for 2022 is $25 bilion. What is Nigeria's annual budget for 2022?

Don't swallow everything they give you. Some of those GDP figures are very questionable. But apparently it makes Nigerians like you very happy. But the reality is there for all to see

You may see Ghana as 'tiny", but Ghanaians don't see themselves as such because they are doing far better on UN Human Development Index

Why are scared of mentioning Nigeria's 2022 budget so we can compare with the $25bn you claim is Ghana's?

The budget is an indication of there revenue you expect, loans you will access and debt you pay back. Come and explain how it makes sense for Ghana and Nigeria to be having a similar budget. At $25bn Ghana is spending $833 per citizen, Nigeria spending $30bn in 2022 is $158 per citizen. And you expect to have better education, healthcare, and infrastructure compared to them?

You like wild dreams a lot, you better go and learn how Ghana is able to raise $25bn from their small economy of $65bn

philip0906:

This is a stinking lie, tell this to someone else, not me.

That's because you don't know the difference between business registrations, statutory dues, rent, licences, advert dues and income tax.

It's like insisting because you earn monthly salary your employer must provide transport, feeding, clothing, laundry, barbing services to you because you need those to appear at work.

philip0906:

Okada riders fvcking pay tax, Joey. Danfo drivers fvcking pay tax and it's levied daily. Keke napep riders fvcking pay tax daily. Sometimes, what they pay is way more than 20-25% of their income, that you pay. The woman who sells in Aswani market, pays a fraction of her income to the local council. The food vendor who has a small stall by the road side, pays money to the local council. Go and stand by the roadside in whatever area you stay, start selling something and see if in days, you won't have the local council members disturbing you who will come and cut ticket for you.

You're so self cut out that you think because you get a cool FIRS/LIRS fancy receipt, that you're better than the man who gets a NURTW sticker on his danfo to ply the road after they've given up a % of their income, you pay your dues, while they don't. You're so fvcking self absorbed because you think you're better than the guy who is taxed informally.



No! You stop reading those western economic jargons that doesn't apply to your country and read this: https://www.thecable.ng/report-98-of-businesses-in-nigerias-informal-sector-pay-taxes-but-to-non-state-actors

98% of Nigerians in the informal sector, pay tax. Common sense should simply mean that if the tax bodies are serious, they should harmonize these payments into a central pool and find a way of capturing the the informal sector. This could simply be by capturing those daily levies collected by the local council, NURTW etc. This can be where automation comes to play and can also mean some hard decisions like outlawing collections by these local/state/federal actors, so that the informal sector is not double taxed and pay according to what they earn.

You're so self absorbed that you are literally comparing a pseudo-third world country driven by a largely informal sector to the theories applied in first world countries driven majorly by the formal economy.

Now that steps are been taken to capture every account for tax purposes you're here cussing and kicking, aren't you negating your own common sense?

Wizzzzmike:


You Nigerians talk too much lol... Yet ur the poverty capital of the world. Y'all starving to death

Check the GDP figures, these are not emotions, wishes or perception, they are facts

whalley676:
My question :
Who are eligible to pay tax in Nigeria ?
Does this tax system applicable to unemployed youths, aged people etc.
If yes, how will the system measure their income??

Not possible to tax income if you've not earned.

Rasaq Okoya aged and is over 80 years old, and earns billions every year, should he pay tax?

philip0906:

Are you okay like this? Lmao!!! My post clearly makes reference to Nigerians (both in the informal & formal sector) in the context of taxing proportional to their earnings. You asked a personal question, I answered but you're saying something else. Who ever said TAXES your entire earnings? You well so? Loool




Yes oh! Blame the already hapless citizens who have been stretched to the limits. Blame them until you've drained them the fvck out.



The fact that you are trying to directly draw a correlation with paying taxes and holding leaders accountable, doesn't paint you as being too intelligent. Unemployment rate is at double digits and about to gear up to 40% (official stats. This is way higher) but you want them to pay tax. Lol

Can someone not earning income be asked to pay income tax?

But you can claim to be unemployed and millions of naira keep passing through your account. Are you dealing drugs or laundering money for robbers?

mbos:

that goes to show how brainless people can be. a billion naira transaction can go wit a loss.... in biz you do not expect profit all the . the transaction may not be for profit,,,,,,,i.e NGOs

When the tax man comes calling you will show how you made losses and your transaction value keeps growing until it hit a billion

philip0906:

I get what you're trying to say but it's preposterous. Many of us already pay what you define as considerable amount of income, yet we can't tell what it's used for. Paying or NOT paying taxes is never the way to hold an irresponsible government accountable, that's the point.


Don't die on this hill, my friend. I can assure you that many small scale businesses pay anything from 20-40% of their earnings to government agencies. Step out of your house, enter a keke/bus and ask them how much they pay to NURTW on a daily basis...For many, it's up to 40% of what they earn. So don't go that sneaky route of 200 naira. The question is, 200 naira is % of what? If I earn 2.5 thousand naira daily but end up paying 500 to local council, isn't that up to 20% of my income?

only 13% of income earners in Nigeria are registered to pay income tax. Levies, ground rent, access fees, association dues are not income taxes. They are part of the cost of doing business. Don't conflate the 2.

NURTW is not a govt revenue-generating agency, neither is it an MDA, stop pretending you don't know this already. Iya-loja dues is a traditional institution that is in the throws of it's wit end, neither does such dues enter govtconfers or end up as public funds

orisa37:
FINANCE BILL VIOLATES CAMA AND COMPANY RIGHTS.

CAMA SHOULD BE REVIEWED INSTEAD.

THERE'S A COMPANY LAW LEGAL CODE, THAT CODE SHOULD BE REVIEWED TOO. THIS FINANCE BILL IS RIFA-RUGA ISLAMISATION FULANISATION AND ANARCHY AND MEANT TO TRANSFER FINANCIAL CONTROL TO MACBAN. PLEASE SCRAP IT AND REVIEW ALL EXISTING LAWS.

head turningoniown

kmcutez:
I don’t want my taxes going to any Northern government. When we split up, I will gladly pay tax. I try as much as possible to avoid paying stamp duties, by splitting up my payments, even if it cause me more bank charges. Hopefully we win the VAT case so that my money end up in the state I’m residing in, and not to the Federal Government.

But you will drive on Federal roads, call national police for protection and expect customs to guide the border to protect your business from unfair foreign competetion.
Shebi it's leaves they will use to guarantee all these?

FarahAideed:


And you don't know almost 30 percent of the cost of your flight ticket goes to the Nigerian govt ? You should check the breakdown of your international flight fares and see

So that justifies not paying income tax? Those who pay PAYE, dont they have to pay same 30% you claim on the ticket price? Why should business people many who earn more, or rich informal workers not pay income tax if it's the law of the land?
Your position supports law breakers or theft from collective revenue.

BABANGBALI:
God did you create this one too in your own image?

The points raised is far beyond your brain power to process.

FarahAideed:


Yes when we open corporate accounts we alwsy submit TIN which is okay but trying to force people with personal accounts to to go and collect TIN and submit same to banks is as a proviso for operating a bank account is criminal

Criminal according to which law? Lawmakers are debating a law they want to pass to solve a certain problem, best you can do is go to court to declare the law unconstitutional.

But no it's an opportunity to talk about Buhari election, as if he's a Senator. If the law is already signed shouting here won't make any difference, go to court.

joey150:


You said you pay nearly all your income to the government. I don't have the energy to go back to the quote. I kept pushing for you to explain what that meant. Alas, you never did.

The concept of taxation to increase accountability is simple. if someone directly funds or finances something, they tend to care and pay more attention to it. It's not rocket science.

If I build a house with my money, I will ensure that my tenants don't put my house in danger. If I pay my mechanic to fix my car, I will ensure he has used the money I gave him to buy the required parts he charged me for. etc. I care about these things because my money is involved.

If most citizens pay taxes, they will ensure or at least try to ensure that the roads, schools, hospitals, power, etc that their money was supposed to finance is built.

This is common sense. We've gone back and forth to explain a simple concept. People care where their money goes. Tell Nigerians somebody stole 100 Billion naira of public funds and they don't care. Why should they? Have they contributed directly to the 100 billion, NO!

Lol. I am tired of explaining. Perhaps I should refer you to books if you still don't get it.

Very clearly explained but it seems simple concept is difficult to teach many Nigerians.

Their emotions, biases and fears easily get in the way. Many don't understand there is no perfect system anywhere in the world. 100% tax compliance does not mean we will have perfect governance and no more need for vigilance by ordinary citizens.

ezechi24:


such nonsense write up.....can you please show me any meaningful impact in the country with the taxes theyve been getting since 1960....i can see that you dont just want to have sense...suffer no dey tire you?

Tell us for how many years of that 61 years did government in Nigeria run on taxes paid by the people.
For your information oil has been the chief income for about 50 years and politicians will be more loyal to Oil executives and interests than the people who mostly pay nothing. He who pays the piper dictates the tune holds here.

lexy2014:


Everyone in Nigeria pays taxes. So your theory that paying taxes is directly related to political participation and holding govt accountable doesn't have any basis

Most people earning in Nigeria don't pay income tax. How can they pay without a TIN or being registered?
Only VAT that is difficult to escape cut across partly because not all goods and services in the market charge VAT.

I dont know anyone in business who pays income tax dutifully, do you know anyone?

They may be making millions but whenever pushed to the wall and in need of tax clearance, they will 15k and are covered for the year

abbeyfel:
You are still getting it wrong. Paying taxes does not literally mean a better life. What guarantees a good life for the people is good governance! Do we have that in place at the moment? Point is, how is attacking from the bank account angle an even sensible thing to do Is that where their brain lead them. As in go through bank accounts like everyone with bank accounts are taxable. Mumu thing..

Paying taxes does not remove the need for good governance.
Conversely, paying taxes is an adjutant for more responsible governance because I now know the people pay for the cost of governance including the salary of all politicians.

A situation where 80-90% of what a state income is coming from Abuja or Oil, why do I need to care what the people think? I better be in the good books of the president and oil company executives. When election comes I set aside 5k for like 200,000 voters who don't pay tax. Mere 1bn naira to give me the right to spend 250bn as I like every year.

PetroDolla2020:
"Tiny" Ghana? How "tiny" is Ghana? Like an ant?

Ghana economy is tiny beside Nigeria. After removing their GDP from that of Nigeria we will still be number 1 in Africa still bigger than South Africa.

Now imagine that tiny Ghana having a revenue more than half of that of Nigeria? Yet our economy is more than 6 times or theirs. Shows our tax system is very poor and grossly under performing.
It's not like the average Ghanian is so much richer than the average Nigerian.

.

philip0906:

You're confusing yourself with all the semantics. I live in an almost 3rd world country where I already pay money equivalent to my income to government...Whatever grammar/label economic experts (you included) decide to append to that payment, is their plate of watery beans. This is simply TAX.


I agree. The focus should then be on the government ensuring productivity and industralisation.


You're still confusing yourself. If government decides to appoint NURTW to collect taxes from Nigerians, does it make it any less of taxation? You're stuck in all the semantics. Any monies that individuals pay on their income using whatever principle, is simply TAX. The tricycle rider, pays a fraction of his income to the NURTW daily. The akara seller, pays a fraction of her income selling akara to the Local council daily/weekly. Any grammar or way Joey wants to twist this fact, that I'm taxed already, is your business.

The NURTW, Local Council who collect these levies, are all part of the government.



This should be your argument not argue the definition of taxes. Where does the NURTW fee levied on okada riders/tricycle riders go to? Where does the weekly levy paid by the akara seller to the local council go to?

I don't need to be an economics major to know that simple automation/process improvement by the tax bodies on those monies paid by the tricycle rider/akara seller is collected at a central/accountable point. But No, let us leave Mc Oluomo to continue to use okada/marwa riders money to fund the luxurious lifestyle of his concubines and turn around to scream that Nigerians don't pay tax. Nonsense!!

ALL the people I know running big private business don't pay any tax. Some are printers getting contracts worth millions or hundreds of thousands daily. Some run cold room services, some are builders. Apart from a few who get contracts from govt agencies or reputable private companies where they must pay VAT, ALL of them pay zero income tax to their state govt.

Some make millions from each job done within a month or 2.

Some turnover goods worth billions and have bank balance in billions. Go to Lagos island market. They don't even know what income tax is. But they all use the few available public facilities. These are the people we are asking to pay their fair share of the burden of running a modern state not the very poor or unemployed.

That's why smaller economies like SA and Egypt have $130b and $90b govt revenue respectively which can be invested in power projects, medical, education, roads, railway while we are struggling to scrape $25b every year.

CSTRR:

Many people pay tax in Nigeria.

I pay serious tax.
So what has changed?

Will more taxes make your leaders more responsible?

Are you telling me I can tell buhari to stop wasting my current taxes on foreign travels?.

What are you on about?

Are you living in an Utopia?

Congratulations on being a compliant tax payer. I'm too and have being consistent for the past 2 decades. 10% of my earnings from share dividends goes to the FG. I also buy vatable goods and services.
However we belong to a minority tribe in Nigeria. Data shows only about 13% of working class Nigerians are registered to pay tax. Your guess is as good as mine on the number these registered whose tax deductions actually makes it to govt coffers.
In Lagos state, data shows only 700,000 workers are on the tax database, where are the millions of other workers?

These are the millions that will clogg the few roads built for 700,000 workers and family. They contribute nothing but will overwhelm the few hospitals making doctors and nurses overstretched and ineffective. They are the millions that will collect 2k and vote thieves because it is not their money getting stolen.

If a vulcanizer earns 1m a year and pays 50k income tax, that's 200k every 4 years, do you think 2k or 5k will swing his votes? Or religion or zone of the candidate will be his primary concern? He will want good value from the 200k he has paid and chose wisely.

abbeyfel:
You obviously don't understand. Nigerians are one of the people that pay tax the most in the world! Just check how many VAT Nigerians are paying before you say all these you are saying. Most workers in Nigeria pay tax because it is deducted even before they get paid. Any banking transactions now is taxed wether you like it or not. Deposit money, they will tax you. Withdraw money, they will tax you. If we don't care that they steal our money, then why are we always crying foul?
Or do you expect us to start stoning the politicians when they are passing with their always very strong security details? So what exactly are you saying?

Ghana pays 12.5% VAT, was 15% till recently, UK pays 17.5% sales tax.
Nigeria pays 7.5% was 5 till last year.

How can 7.5% be more than 12.5%

Ask anyone living in Ghana, you pay 8% tax on your house rent, in Nigeria its 0%.
You pay council tax, sales tax, road tax, income tax etc in UK.

Easy5265:


You don't throw figures without backing it up. Oil makes up a greater % of Nigeria's GDP. A larger % of the populace or unemployed, even those that are can't live on their wages. You still then want to tax them to death. What has the government done with the resources to now seek for more. No stable power supply, no good road, security is next to none, inflation is aiming for the moon. Nigeria is no longer moving in circle, it is retrogressing.

Where is the backup for your data that Oil makes up the greater part of Nigeria GDP?
That is very wrong, oil is less than 9% of Nigeria GDP, Services and Agriculture are each far bigger than oil.

Tax the Nigeria $465bn like SA tax their $390b or Egypt tax $320b.
You cant collect income tax from a person who has not earned. Once you earn above the threshold you must pay even if it is 100 naira monthly.

Your noise about poor people only helps those who should pay $100m tax to easily escape because you want to protect 100 naira from a low wage earner.

Fahdiga:
I doubt if all this embarrassment would have been happening if the lifeless Buhari isn't the president

Can you rest without praying to Buhari your god in a day?

MANDIPUTIN:


https://tribuneonlineng.com/north-should-be-on-its-knees-begging-for-an-igbo-president-in-2023-%E2%80%95-ohanaeze/

If Tinubu does not support a SE candidate we will give our votes to the north threat in the mud.

Tactless politics, kindergarten politics, we warned them, they will not listen.
Go and vote Shekau, or Gumi they are from the north

Easy5265:


Has this government created an environment for business to thrive, that's asides the terrorists in business. They tax our deposits, also tax our withdrawals.

Business is not thriving in Nigeria but we have GDP of $465bn and revenue of $25bn

Business is thriving in South Africa but their GDP is $390bn and revenue is $130bn
Business is thriving in Egypt but their GDP is $320bn and revenue is $90bn
Even tiny Ghana has GDP of $68bn and revenue is $14bn more than half of Nigeria.

Many will be too dull to understand the ramifications of these stats, we will keep going in cycles while others will achieve more every year

Keepem:
Firing squad for you dia

With your back to the drums

tribe of the ignorant

FarahAideed:


So you are going to tax any transactions that occurs on a bank account? ... All Buahrist truly have low IQ like the bUhari

Stop making noise, you are ignorant or reality, i pity those who take their information from your writings here.

There are thousands of accounts with TIN number in operation, has any of them told you they pay tax on transactions different from statutory charges?

FarahAideed:
Silly demonic govt again..all in a bid to to start stealing directly from the bank accounts of NIGERIANs and then labelling it taxation¡!! Taxes can be charged only on income, value or profit and not on banking transaction , any attempt to tax transactions is nothing but Armed Robbery

You might soon have a coronary at this rate, has FIRS or state IRS taken money from the account of anyone with TIN number arbitrarily?
I have a business account with TIN and not a kobo has been taken out of it because the company pays its taxes to the approriate channel.

Ignorance is a serious affliction

tungamaje:


The problem is that some few individuals would still embezzle whatever people pay as tax through treasury looting and helpless Nigerians won't be able to hold anybody accountable except ranting on Nairaland. Or who can fight corruption successfully here in Nigeria. People have lost faith in our administrators. All you wrote above would have been appropriate if we are living in a sane country

It will be a different ball game when it is the money taken from your pocket that is been stolen, not money coming from under the ground in some faraway region

FarahAideed:


This relationship you have with Buhari is also Corruption

You can never be objective in your life.

vedaxcool:


I don't quite agree, serving for 36 years does not equate billions. Unless he is being misquoted saving allowances cannot add up to that ridiculous amount!

The estacode for govt officials is $300 daily and let's say by some twist in the presidential fleet they pay $1000 daily.
Even if he travels everyday if the year which is not possible that means he will get $365,000
Traveling everyday for 5 years completely impossible, he will make $1.8m which when exchanged to naira in the last 5 years average exchange rate can't be more than 800m naira if he doesn't spend a Kobo on personal needs, hotel bills and food when he traveled everyday for 5 years

Verdict: his claim is a big fat lie.