Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has raised the alarm over circulation of fake Tax Clearance Certificate by unscrupulous individuals and corporate organisations.
To stem the tide therefore, the Federal Government has mandated all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as 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 payments.
The minister, in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, said the directive was in response to the proliferation of forged TCCs purportedly issued prior to the automation of the certificates from August 22, 2017.
“The validation of the TCCs will enhance the integrity of the tax system,” she affirmed.
The minister also explained that Electronic TCCs, also known as (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.
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For TCCs issued before August 22, 2017, the minister advised the MDAs and other stakeholders to forward a list of the companies and photocopies of the TCCs to the office of the Executive Chairman, FIRS, for authentication.
According to the statement, the FIRS has undertaken to verify the TCCs within 72 hours of receipt.
Furthermore, the minister reminded company directors that possession of fake Tax Clearance Certificates is an offense, adding that the now outdated manual system allowed production of forged TCCs.
“Companies and individuals in doubt as to the authenticity of their TCCs are advised to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularise,” Adeosun advised.
She also assured that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the FIRS would continue to work in partnership with government at all levels and stakeholders towards eradicating tax fraud and evasion.
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 non-presentation of a TIN by the vendors largely contributed to leakages in revenue remittances, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT).
