JOINT TAX BOARD INTRODUCES SIRTS AND SHF TO END MULTIPLE ROAD TAXATION

The Joint Tax Board has introduced the Single Inter-state Road Tax Sticker (SIRTS) and Single Haulage Fee (SHF) in a bid to end illegal and multiple taxation in all state across the federation.

During a sensitization programme organised last week by the Katsina State Internal Revenue Service and the JTB. The JTB Executive Secretary, Hajiya Obomeghie Nana-Aisha explained that the initiative, which is to be implemented by the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) internal revenue services, under the aegis of the Joint Tax Board, would reduce incidences of double taxation through the sales of multiple emblems and stickers.Addressing the participants, the JTB Executive Secretary, said the aim was to end Illegal tax collection, extortion on the highways and block revenue leakages in the country.She said: “It is a single sticker that if you buy it at N3,500 in one state, it can be used across all the 36 states including the FCT and nobody will harass you anywhere you go. In order to make sure that everybody benefits from that N3,500, there is a portion of it that belongs to internal revenue service, the vendor and the consultant.”Nana-Aisha noted that the SIRTS and SHF would also sustain harmony, uniformity and coherence of road tax administration nationwide, restoration of the integrity of the road tax collection process and ensure that road tax collections were remitted appropriately to government coffers.While noting that the nation’s legislation placed road taxes administration on state governments, Nana-Aisha said encroachment by non-state government actors had made the administration incoherent, disorganised and an avenue for indiscriminate collections to take place.According to her, “As we are all aware, the incidences of multiple taxation, harassment and extortion have been commonplace on the nation’s highways for years, and this has had negative ripple effects.“We will ensure the elimination of illegal roadblocks in the nation’s transportation corridors, economic empowerment via job creation for prospective vendors and agents.”Other states like Ogun, Enugu, Anambra and so on have also begun implementation of this initiative.