The Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), Mr. Michael Ango, has declared that residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have no reason to evade taxes, citing the massive infrastructural transformation and improved public services delivered by the FCT Administration in recent years.
Ango made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the newly introduced FCT-IRS TaxPortal Payment and Compliance Process.
He said the extensive investments in roads, public infrastructure and other capital projects executed under the leadership of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, have demonstrated the tangible benefits of tax revenue and justified the need for residents to fulfil their tax obligations.
According to him, the visible development across the nation’s capital should encourage voluntary tax compliance among residents.
“Residents of the Federal Capital Territory have no reason not to pay their taxes because they can clearly see the impact of their contributions in the ongoing infrastructural development across the FCT,” Ango said.
He maintained that sustained tax compliance would provide the resources needed for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to expand infrastructure, improve public services and deliver more people-oriented projects.
“The more revenue we generate through taxes, the more developmental projects and improved services the government will be able to provide for residents,” he added.
Speaking on the newly launched TaxPortal, Ango described it as a modern digital platform designed to simplify tax administration and improve taxpayers’ experience.
He explained that the portal enables taxpayers to register, file tax returns, make payments and access a wide range of tax-related services without visiting tax offices.
“The TaxPortal is a modern tax management system specifically customised to meet your needs. It allows you to register, file returns, make payments and access other tax services conveniently from the comfort of your homes or offices,” he said.
He urged government agencies, corporate organisations and individual taxpayers to embrace the platform, noting that it would enhance transparency, efficiency and ease of doing business.
The FCT-IRS boss assured stakeholders that although the Service has the legal authority to enforce compliance and sanction tax defaulters, its priority is to encourage voluntary compliance through education, stakeholder engagement and improved service delivery.
He called for stronger collaboration between the Service and taxpayers to build a more efficient and responsive tax administration system.
Earlier, the Director of Tax Operations (Corporate, MDAs and International Organisations), Mrs. Salome Adeyemi, urged stakeholders to take full advantage of the new TaxPortal for seamless taxpayer registration, filing of tax returns, payments and the issuance of Tax Clearance Certificates.
She expressed confidence that the platform would strengthen collaboration between the Service and taxpayers while boosting internally generated revenue for the sustainable development of the Federal Capital Territory.
Participants at the engagement also received presentations on the Federal Government’s ongoing tax reforms.
Ms. Fatima Abubakar sensitised stakeholders on the reforms, while the Director of Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Ayokanmi Ogunwumiju, demonstrated the integrated Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSPs), highlighting the platform’s security features, efficiency and user-friendly interface.
The stakeholders’ engagement forms part of the FCT-IRS’ broader strategy to deepen stakeholder participation, promote voluntary tax compliance and leverage technology to deliver transparent, efficient and taxpayer-friendly tax administration across the Federal Capital Territory.