FG goes tough against fake tax certificate holders

…Wants agencies to verify certificates before payment
The Federal Government has mandated all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to authenticate all Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) presented by companies and individuals engaged in public procurement processes before making any payment to contractors.

This directive was in response to the proliferation of forged TCCs purportedly issued prior to the automation of the certificates from August 22, 2017.

In a circular made available on Tuesday by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the federal government also directed the MDAs to authenticate all TCCs prior to making any payment.

According to Adeosun, the validation of the TCCs will enhance the integrity of the tax system.

The minister also disclosed that electronic TCCS (e-TCCs) can be verified via logging into https//tcc.firs.gov.ng and taking the following steps: click on verify e-TCC, enter the TCC number and complete the captcha, and click on submit to view the TCC number entered.

She added that for TCCs issued before August 22, 2017, the MDAs and other stakeholders should forward a list of the companies and photocopies of the TCCs to the office of the Executive Chairman, FIRS for authentication; saying that the FIRS has undertaken to verify the TCCs within 72 hours of receipt.

Adeosun also reminded company directors that possession of the now outdated manual system and forged TCCs is an offence.

She also advised companies and individuals in doubt as to the authenticity of their TCCs to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularise.

She added that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the FIRS will continue to work in partnership with government at all levels and stakeholders towards eradicating tax fraud and evasion.

The Daily Times recalls that the Federal Government had in January 2018 directed vendors of MDAs to display their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) on their invoices before payments are effected.

The minister further stated that non-presentation of a TIN by the vendors largely contributed to leakages in revenue remittances, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT).