By Tony Edike

ENUGU—The Joint Tax Board (JTB), yesterday, solicited the cooperation of all the states to ensure the realization of the 2012 deadline for Electronic Taxpayers Registration nationwide.

Speaking at a sensitization workshop on Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) in Enugu, Secretary, JTB, Mohammed Abubakar, explained that the aim was to register all categories of taxpayers in Nigeria and provide comprehensive data base that would enable automated tax administration system in the country.

Abubakar disclosed that the electronic taxpayers’ registration has commenced in six pilot states of Abia, Bauchi, Delta, Jigawa, Kwara and Oyo through taxpayer identification number project, where taxpayers are being registered electronically.

The JTB Secretary said a data base for taxpayers in the states would prepare a way for automation of their tax administration, a requirement globally and one of the best practices that was being embarked upon by all tax authorities worldwide.

“So, we cannot afford to be an island. We just have to key in to this very important exercise. Other states, namely, Rivers, Plateau, Osun, ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kebbi, Yobe, Kogi, Benue, Edo and Akwa-Ibom states have just been covered and electronic registration of tax payers in these states will soon commence.

“Any other state that has not been brought into the system has not been brought into the system because they are yet to pay their counterpart fund contribution towards the project.”