The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service has commenced enforcement measures against individuals, businesses and corporate organisations that have failed to meet their tax obligations in the state.
The Executive Chairman of AIRS, Ikeazor Okonkwo, announced this on Tuesday at a press briefing held at the agency’s headquarters in Awka.
Okonkwo said the enforcement followed the expiration of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration and Tax Regularisation Scheme on September 5.
He explained that the scheme had allowed taxpayers with outstanding liabilities to regularise their tax affairs and benefit from available concessions.
With the expiration of the programme, he said AIRS had moved into the enforcement phase in line with existing tax laws.
He said those targeted include taxpayers who failed to regularise their liabilities under the scheme, individuals and businesses that received Best of Judgment assessments but failed to challenge or settle them within the stipulated period, as well as taxpayers found to have underpaid or under-remitted taxes.
According to him, defaulters could face statutory sanctions, including the issuance of final demand notices, sealing of premises where applicable, recovery of outstanding liabilities and prosecution for established tax offences.
Okonkwo urged affected taxpayers to use the available opportunity to resolve their outstanding obligations and comply with the state’s tax laws.
He disclosed that about 500,000 taxpayers had so far been captured in the agency’s database, while AIRS was working towards adding another 500,000 taxpayers to reach a target of one million.
The chairman said technology would play a major role in the enforcement exercise, noting that digital systems would be used to reduce unnecessary physical interaction between tax officials and taxpayers.
He added that AIRS had embarked on extensive sensitisation campaigns before commencing enforcement, using radio and other media platforms, churches, markets and public address systems to educate residents about their tax obligations.
Okonkwo also announced plans to establish an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to handle genuine complaints from taxpayers who disagree with their assessments.
He said taxpayers with legitimate objections would be given an opportunity to present their cases for consideration, while those without valid objections would be expected to settle their outstanding liabilities.
The AIRS chairman said the agency had already identified taxpayers who had failed to comply and was working with its legal advisers to determine the appropriate enforcement procedures.
He outlined four broad categories of taxpayers: those who were already compliant and should maintain their status; those with genuine objections who could present their cases; those without valid objections who should make the required payments; and others with outstanding obligations who must regularise their tax affairs in accordance with the law.
Okonkwo said the enforcement was part of efforts to improve the culture of tax compliance in Anambra.
He explained that taxpayers were expected to declare income from various sources, including salaries, rent, investments and business activities, and pay the appropriate taxes.
According to him, AIRS spent its first six months prioritising taxpayer education and engagement while analysing available data to identify areas of significant non-compliance.
He said the agency would continue to pursue outstanding tax obligations within the limits of the law while encouraging compliant taxpayers to maintain their status.
Taxpayers seeking clarification or verification were advised to visit the AIRS website or contact the agency through its official email addresses and customer service lines.
The enforcement exercise comes amid efforts by state tax authorities across the country to increase domestic revenue and improve taxpayer registration and compliance.
In Anambra, AIRS said its ongoing expansion of the taxpayer database and adoption of digital systems would help improve the identification of taxable individuals and businesses across the state.
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