Following the outbreak of Coronavirus Pandemic across the world and the official announcement of the first case in Nigeria on the 27th of February, 2020, and subsequent spike in number of active cases, which necessitated a shutdown pronouncement by the Kwara State Government in line with the Federal Government directive on the 23rd of March, 2020, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, implemented the following measures to safeguard the lives of its Staff, ease the burden on taxpayers, and ensure business continuity in line with best practices as an ISO Certified organization:
- Donation of palliatives to Informal Sector Tax payers to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on their businesses in April and June, 2020.
- A further extension of the deadline for filing Annual Returns from 31st of March to 30th of September, 2020.
- 30% discount/waiver on arrears on ground rent and land charge for property owners and land occupiers, if they pay between 1st April and 30th September, 2020.
- Granting of a moratorium (‘Grace Period’ during which Personal Income Tax collection is suspended) to informal sector taxpayers to enable them to recover from the financial stress caused by COVID-19 from 1st May 2020 to 30th June, 2020.
- Suspension of all enforcement activities on tax defaulters in Informal Sector, Educational Sector, Hospitality Sector, Low-Income Earners, and Property owners from 1st April to 30th of September, 2020.
- Waiver of interest and penalty for High Net worth Individuals (HNIs) and Corporate Organizations that pay up their tax arrears between 1st June 2020 and 30th of September, 2020.
- Implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the process of tax recovery under the guidance of Covid-19 safety measures.
- Deployment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); Nose masks, face shields and hand sanitizers to taxpayers and staff.
- Introduction of Virtual meetings for the KW-IRS Management Team and different Committees.
- Reduction in the workforce by a way of duty schedule to allow for compliance to physical distancing in our offices.
- Deployment of temperature monitors, wash hand basins with running water and soap and hand sanitizers across our offices.
- Encouragement of taxpayers to make payments to the Kwara State IGR Accounts via PAYDIRECT at any of the local commercial banks.
These measures are in response to the reality that the entire world is going through a tough time and there is need for everyone to adjust to this new situation and abide by all the safety guidelines as provided by the State Government.
For further enquiry and assistance as it relates to Revenue payments, taxpayers can reach the KW-IRS through any of the following means:
Telephone: 07006959477, Email: Info@kw-irs.com, Website: www.kw-irs.com
Facebook: KwaraIRS Twitter: @KwaraIrs Instagram:@kwirs
Signed:
Shade Omoniyi
Executive Chairman