The Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), Mr. Michael Ango, has declared that the ongoing harmonisation of revenue collection and administration will effectively address the issue of multiple taxation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Appearing on Channels Television’s Dateline Abuja, Ango revealed that the FCT-IRS is working closely with government agencies and the six area councils to ensure the seamless implementation of the initiative.
He commended FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike for his directive and support in streamlining the tax system to make it more efficient for taxpayers while boosting revenue.
“The minister has tasked us to ensure the issue of multiple taxes is resolved swiftly. To achieve this, we aligned with the Federal Government’s Tax Reform Committee, where I served before my appointment. The FCT has now been adopted as a pilot for tax harmonisation, and the process is already underway,” Ango stated.
He explained that under the new system, taxpayers will no longer need to interact with multiple agencies. Taxes and levies for bodies such as AGIS, Development Control, Water Board, Abuja Environmental Protection Agency, and area councils can now be paid through FCT-IRS, which will handle collection and remittance.
“For instance, if you have 30 houses, you don’t need three agents to manage your rent collection. With this harmonisation, all taxes and levies will be centrally collected and properly distributed to the relevant agencies,” he explained.
Ango also emphasized the importance of voluntary compliance, urging taxpayers to view paying taxes as a civic duty. He highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects and services across the FCT as evidence of the effective use of tax revenues, encouraging residents to support development by fulfilling their tax obligations.
The harmonisation initiative is expected to streamline tax processes, eliminate redundancies, and provide a more transparent and efficient system for revenue collection in the FCT.