Anambra sends tax demand notices to residents via text message

The Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) says it sent tax demand notices to state indigenes and residents through text messages.

Sylvia Ngige, head, public relations unit, personal income tax (PTI), Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), disclosed this in Awka, on Friday.

Ngige said the charges are statutory obligations of earning citizens to the government.

She said those who got the messages and claimed they live outside Anambra should go to the online portal of the service and file returns.

She said it is a direct tax charged on the income of a person and what is payable is dependent on the amount of income which the person earns from economic activities.

“According to law, the government may impose tax on PIT of an individual and entity, and a development levy which is a flat charge imposed on every taxable person typically within a state,” Ngige said.

“In the case of those living outside Anambra, they must have obtained the Anambra State Social Identity number (ANSSID) now Anambra State Identity Number (ASIN) and made a transaction with the Anambra government.

“ASIN is the citizens’ tax identification with the state since he/she claims they live in Lagos and does business there, the expectation is that they should file a return and pay to Lagos State government.

“They should also file a return to the Anambra government with evidence to prove that they declared all income in their states of residence and are not supposed to pay PIT to the Anambra government.”

However, according to NAN, residents and indigenes had received text messages with an indiscriminate distribution of tax demand notices from AIRS asking for the same amount as tax despite differences in earnings.

“Dear …, you are in default of remitting N175,117.34 as Personal Income Tax for 2021 to ANSG. Pay now to avoid further penalties. www.anambra.tax,” the text message reads.