The Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS) has underscored the need for stronger collaboration among revenue authorities, the judiciary, legislature and the public as a key strategy to tackle tax-related offences in the state.
The Executive Chairman of EKIRS, Mr Olaniran Olatona, stated this on during a training session for revenue judges and magistrates at Revenue House in Ado-Ekiti.
The training, themed “Enhancing Judicial Competence in Tax Matters: Principles, Practices and Emerging Trends,” was aimed at strengthening the capacity of judicial officers in handling tax-related issues.
Olatona said judicial support remained crucial to improving tax compliance and boosting the state’s revenue drive.
He noted that the service prioritises voluntary compliance with tax obligations over litigation, describing it as a more sustainable approach to revenue administration.
The chairman also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the vision of Gov. Biodun Oyebanji to build a fiscally resilient state with sufficient internally generated revenue to fund recurrent expenditure.
Delivering a lecture on “New Tax Reforms,” the Head of Direct Assessment at EKIRS, Mr Oluwasegun Ogunsanya, highlighted the judiciary’s critical role in ensuring compliance through enforcement, fostering public trust in the tax system, supporting economic development and facilitating speedy resolution of revenue matters.
Also speaking, the Director of Legal Directorate at the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Seyi Alade, used Lagos State as a case study to stress the need for synergy between tax authorities and the judiciary.
Alade said optimal revenue generation could only be achieved when both institutions worked in harmony.
He further emphasised the need for judicial officers to possess adequate knowledge of tax laws and advocated specialised pathways to fast-track administrative and judicial processes in tax-related cases.
The Head of Legal Department, EKIRS, Mr Ayodeji Olaifa, said enforcement and distraint should be seen as instruments to encourage voluntary compliance rather than punitive measures intended to embarrass taxpayers.
Similarly, EKIRS Legal Adviser, Miss Emmanuella Akinyemi, said the Tax Ombud and Tax Appeal Tribunal were established to strengthen Nigeria’s tax governance, promote fairness and reduce arbitrariness in tax administration.
In his presentation titled “State and Local Government Collectibles and Areas of Conflict,” the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Wasiu Mohammed, called for strict enforcement of approved taxes and levies, improved revenue harmonisation, greater adoption of technology and clearly defined institutional roles.
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Responding on behalf of participants, Justice O. Olatawura commended EKIRS for organising the training and urged the service to sustain such capacity-building initiatives.
He also assured the agency of continued collaboration from the judiciary.
The training was attended by judges, magistrates and senior EKIRS officials, including directors from key departments of the service.