The Federal Government says it intends to recoup over N553 billion unremitted taxes from international petroleum shipping companies operating in Nigeria.
Abdullahi Aliyu, a director at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), said that recouping the sum which accrued from 2010 to 2019 would help address the nation’s budget deficits.
Aliyu said with the country’s overall budget deficit of N11.34 trillion, the N553 billion unremitted taxes represent 5.03 percent and would be an alternative to addressing Nigeria’s economic woes instead of borrowing.
He said this while speaking at a virtual summit organised by the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) on Wednesday with the theme; “Sensitising the Nigerian maritime industry on the new tax policy and objectives”.
Aliyu, however, noted that shipping companies involved in dry cargo activities in Nigeria and foreign airlines had been complying with the tax laws that most operators in the oil sector had neglected.
“The onus is on global businesses to understand the local laws and taxation in the countries where they transact business, and these specific laws have been in place in the nation for decades.
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“Nigerian taxes are more favourable to non-residents compared to indigenous companies, thereby creating an unfair business environment for local operators,” he said.
In his paper presentation, Oluwole Oni, assistant director, tax, FIRS, said that the agency had advertised the planned taxation exercise in December 2021 to prevent disruptions in the essential global shipping business.
“Non-resident vessels earn freight income from transportation services provided in transporting petroleum products (crude oil and gas products) from Nigeria to the agreed location, outside of Nigeria.
“Irrespective of the commercial arrangement adopted by the non-resident vessels to lift crude oil from Nigeria, freight income attributable to Nigeria is taxable in line with the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA),” he said.
Oni said that the FIRS had written officially to operators who owed taxes for the period between 2010 and 2019, adding that the companies were expected to send in their responses within 30 days.
“Those who received the letters are expected to send in their responses which aren’t only about payment. The response can be an acknowledgement of receipt, a demand for clarification, payment.
“The first step to compliance is registration with FIRS and most operators are yet to register,” Oni said.
The senior advisor for shipping policy at the ICS, Georgia Spencer-Rowland, stated that communication on tax regime was not properly carried out as most members of ICS were oblivious of tax framework.
She noted that members of ICS comprised over 80 percent of the world’s merchant ships and 40 national ship-owners associations.
Oni, however, encouraged the FIRS to clearly communicate in an official document, the period allotted as grace period for the tax implementation.
“Do these taxes affect inbound or outbound ships? Are the taxes payables on freight, income or profits?
“Will ICS members as stakeholders be allowed to participate in the Presidential Technical Committee ahead of the implementation of these taxes?” Georgia asked.
