BENIN City-The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has debunked the allegation of taxation of religious bodies in the state, Claiming such to be false and a misleading campaign of calumny.
In a press release made available to The NIGERIAN OBSERVER newspaper, the Acting Executive Chairman of the EIRS, Mr. Emmanuel Usoh (Esq) while maintaining the stand of the revenue service stated that all states in the Federation, Edo State inclusive, were bound by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the various Federal Tax Laws.
Maintaining that the present administration in Edo State had no intention whatsoever of taxing any religious house of worship such as Churches, Mosques and all other religious houses of worship since they are categorized as charitable organizations, exempted from paying taxes, however, if such bodies engaged in any enterprise which employed Labour and paid salaries to its employees, such are Liable to remit the “Pay As You earn” (PAYE) tax for such employees to the relevant tax authority, he revealed.
Reeling out statistics, the EIRS Executive Chairman stated that of an estimated population of about 2.5 million people, only 171,000 persons paid tax in Edo State. He emphasized that “there was a difference between taxes and other forms of payments such as Levies, rates, fees and fines as provided for in the National Tax policy and the various laws guiding tax regulations in Nigeria hence the payment of such cannot collectively be referred to as double taxation.
Enlightening on this, he said that, taxes are paid on income earned while the other revenue items already listed were not taxes on income but imposed for the use of utilities, infrastructure, right of way or activities within a particular area as prescribed by the law.
He nonetheless avowed that Edo State Government would not promote any programme or tax policy that would damage the excellent relationship which the government shared with religious bodies in the state.
Mr. Emmanuel Usoh appealed therefore to all, to refrain from making or listening to misguided or peddled rumours whose intent was geared towards gaining cheap political advancement.
