In a bid to shore up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has henceforth asked tradesmen and artisans operating in the state to pay a yearly tax of N5, 000.
This was disclosed on Thursday in by Chairman of the LIRS, Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, while addressing representatives of organisations and groups under Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA) at Alausa, Ikeja, the state capital. According to Ogunsanwo, the responsibilities of the state government and the need to meet current challenges have made it imperative to shore up its revenue base.
The LIRS boss lamented that of the nine million projected taxable residents in the state, only a little above million of them are tax compliant, which necessitates the need to include all in the informal sectors to contribute to the revenue pool.
Said he, “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has committed himself to meeting the infrastructural needs of people of the state. That is why he has ensured that the financial crunch affecting most states in the country does not have any root here. But to meet these set goals we all have to help him to help us.
We all must pay our taxes. “It is sad that about five million of taxable residents of the state do not pay taxes and most of these are in the informal sectors. That is why we are proposing a N5, 000 for each of you and we hope you will all cooperate with us.” Speaking at the event, President of LASCOSTA, Alhaji Nurudeen Buhari, while commending the LIRS boss for interfacing with his members, he assured the state government of LASCOSTA commitment to help the state government meet its set goals.