Use Technology to Drive Tax Collection, Revenue Growth-SWIT

The Society of Women in Taxation (SWIT) under the leadership of Dr. Abiola Adimula, has called for the use of technology to drive the collection of tax and grow revenue in the country.

The call was made at the SWIT Annual Conference held on May 17, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

This is contained in a communique issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of SWIT 2022 Annual Seminar with the theme: “Taxation and Digitalization : Effect on Women Owned Businesses.”

The communique said that this could be achieved through the expansion of tax bases.

It quoted the President of Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria (CITN), Mr. Adedayo Adesina, to have extolled the role of women in shaping the growth of the industry.

Adesina emphasized that SWIT’s scope was limitless compared with other professional women organizations whose scope area limited to their areas of specialization.

He, however, admonished SWIT to expand its scope beyond Nigeria and be the pacesetter among women professional organizations.

He also advised SWIT on effective collaboration among all stakeholders in professional areas and establish a standing committee on women businesses to provide the requisite direction for their growth.

Also, speaking on Tax Digitalization and Challenges of getting Informal Sector into the Tax Net, Dr. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Former Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), said government should build systems that would develop the tax base.

Omoigui-Okauru also said that there was need for governments to use technology to drive all their activities from car park collections to MDAs.

“Government must help businesses develop through the provision of infrastructures that will enhance and transform businesses.

“Provision of power is very essential for digitalization. Technology is no longer a thing for just the IT people but for everyone.

” Government must build the trust, credibility and confidence in the tax system to encourage compliance with tax payment,” Omoigui-Okauru said.

He added that tax authorities must also develop skills and capacity building amongst their staff by engaging in both tax education, awareness and modelling of tax payers right behaviours.

He stressed that CITN must get involved in professional tax systems for tax professionals.

Also, Hajia Nana Obomeghie, the Executive Secretary of Joint Tax Board, said that only 23 tax authorities had been fully digitized with
10 in process.

Obomeghie added that only four tax authorities had not digitized, calling for deployment and harmonization of technology, training of illegal collectors to collect legally.

She enumerated the advantages of digitization as increasing revenue growth, reduced cost of collection, identifying and profiling of tax payers in assessing tax payers in a digital way.

According to her, Nigerians do not know their rights when it comes to taxation, saying tax to GDP ratio is still six per cent with informal sector contributing about 65 per cent to GDP.

“98 per cent of tax payments in the informal sector is not getting to the government purse.

” In 2017, informal sector contributes 2.84 per cent to total tax collection, contributes 3.75 per cent in 2018, 3.57 per cent in 2019, 2.84 per cent in 2020 and three per cent in 2021,” Obomeghie said.
End