FIRS, NCS inaugurate integrated taxpayer identification number

The Federal Inland Revenue Service in conjunction with the Nigerian Customs Service on Thursday inaugurated a joint Taxpayer Identification Number meant for corporate organisations and individual employees.TIN, according to the government agencies, is a unique number that will be issued to every taxable person in Nigeria, which is based on the establishment Act of FIRS in 2007.Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the number in Lagos, the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Ms. Ifueke Omoigui-Okauru, said the service had put in place structures and electronic platform for the issuance of the identification number.She said, "For those who are unfamiliar with TIN concept, TIN is a unique sequential number of predetermined digits, which is electronically generated and assigned to all corporate and individual taxpayers as part of the tax registration process and is used for the purpose of identifying a taxpayer."The TIN must be quoted in all relevant transactions by the taxpayer, especially when paying taxes. It will enable the FIRS to have a single view of all tax payments made; track payments made by taxpayers from one single window, irrespective of tax type being paid and mode of payment; have a consolidated view of tax payments; generate automated real-time reports; and remove burden and complexity associated with manual reconciliations."The Information Technology Manager, WEBB Fontaine, a technical partner with NCS, Mr. Wadislad Farnowiede told our correspondent that the TIN number was free and that it was designed for everyone in the country.He stressed that the aim of the FIRS and NCS was to have a unified way to identify taxpayers whether an individual or a corporation. He said, "Prior to now, the only way to do so is to use the passport number, registration number, drivers licence number and any other number as may be required to identify the individual or corporate business. But this method has lapses because ones passport number or drivers licence number may change and this is not always good for the service."So the best way to identify taxpayers is using the TIN number which does not change but follows you through out your life, the same way as the social security number, for once you have one it does not change and it is the unique way for identifying an individual or an entity."
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