Group wants January 2020 date for TIN reviewed

The ActionAid Nigeria has said the January 2020 deadline for all Nigerians to produce their Tax Identification Number (TIN) to be able to operater their accounts may not be feasible.

Calling on the Federal Government to review the date, the group said because of the high rate of unemployment in the country, it will be very difficult for unemployed Nigerians to generate TIN.

The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi made the call on Tuesday at the National Tax Summit organised by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with Tax Justice and Governance platform in Abuja.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government had said that effective from January 2020, Nigerians are required to produce their Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) before they can operate existing or new accounts.

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Ene however reasoned that Nigerians who already have a Bank Verification Number (BVN) should be allowed to harmonize it with their TIN considering the alarming level of unemployment in the country.

She also called on government to take the idea for consultation and look at whether the idea is sellable or not, adding that the country should be able to make Tax work for Nigerians, especially those who earn very little.

“If money for taxes are harnessed enough and widened by means of industrialization to create jobs for the masses, the money can work for us,” she said.

The two-day summit, according to the ActionAid boss is seeking to look at people with multiple taxation, the issue of increase in VAT and more companies that can widen their tax base.

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