Kwara IRS Generates N6.2b Revenue In Three Months

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By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Despite the harsh effects of Corona-Virus lockdown on the economic activities of the people in the year 2020, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) succeeded in the generating a sum of N6,227,099,973.42 in the last three months of 2020.
A breakdown of the generated tax showed that in October, the sum of N2,765,485,579.54 was raked into the coffers of the state while N1,287,202,252.78 (N1.2b) was raked in November and in December, the sum of N2,183,412,141.10 was raised.
The Service experienced expectedly, a huge dip in revenue generation in Q2-2020 extending into Q3-2020 which is April, May, June and July, August, September.
The last three months of the year 2020 however, was said to witness a substantial recovery from the crippling effect of the pandemic on businesses and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Chairman of the Service, Mrs Folashade Omoniyi made this known at the weekend in a KW-IRS performance sheet released in Ilorin, the state capital and made available to journalists.
According to her, KW-IRS recorded a total revenue of
N19, 623,992,033.64 during the period which was 75.48% of the N25, 997,573,296.00 revised annual budget.
She said; “the year 2020 was marked with quick implementation of various measures to cushion the effects of the pandemic on taxpayers, which included the donation of palliatives, extension of the deadline for filing Annual Returns from 31st March to 30th September, 2020.
She added that a 30% waiver on arrears on ground rent and land charge for property owners and land occupiers, granting of moratorium to informal sector taxpayers, suspension of all enforcement activities, waiver of penalty and interest for High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) and Corporate Organisations and over 30 Community Impact Programmes (CIPs) were granted.
“The Service also accelerated the implementation of its automated systems to reduce the amount of contact required with tax payers for optimal revenue generation.
“As evidenced in the recent achievement of $16.9m in SFTAS Annual Performance Assessment (APA) for 2019/2020 by Kwara, KW-IRS has ensured accountability and transparency in our internal processes and reporting.
“The Service has also improved significantly in our sequential and systematic reporting through the social, print, and electronic media platforms”.
Omoniyi also said; “The activities of KW-IRS in the year 2020 as well as the remarkable performance recorded irrespective of the snags caused by months of lockdown are pointers to our commitment to the welfare of taxpayers and improving the revenue drive of the State.
“However, we are still experiencing a huge incidence of low tax compliance in Kwara State” but promised that “the Service will be implementing a year round sensitization and enforcement sessions to help reduce the incidence of tax evasion and under remittances.
The year 2021 she said, would also herald continuous automation of all relevant revenue lines which will change the mode of collection in several touch points across the State.
“The Service is appealing to all tax payers to join the it, in improving IGR to help the Administration in 2021”, she pleaded.

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