The Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and SystemSpecs Nigeria Limited have partnered with the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to provide electronic payment of taxes in the country.

The collaboration is part of efforts to enhance deployment of electronic payment platform for collection of government revenue under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) scheme of the federal government.

Addressing journalists at the sidelines of conference to enlighten tax payers on the electronic filling of tax returns and electronic payment of taxes channels, Executive Director, Business Development, NIBSS, Mrs. Christabel Onyejekwe said that the collaboration between the organisations was to develop an e-solution, a platform that would make it easy to pay tax across every channel in Nigeria. That means wherever you are, you can pay your tax easily without stress.

On the role of Remita in the e-filling scheme, Managing Director/Chief Executive, SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro said: “Before now, the FIRS had been collecting tax returns manually, but they have created a platform for electronic filing through the Remita platform. Remita is a payment engine and a number of organisations already use Remita to pay salaries, pension funds and others.

“But now, they are able to make tax payments to the FIRS on the platform. When they do that through the platform, they don’t need to submit any document again because we are integrated at the back to the FIRS.

“With e-filing, the manual way of paying tax would be phased out gradually. There would be a period of transition ultimately.”

Speaking on the rationale for developing the e-filling of tax returns and e-payment of taxes, Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi, said, “It is the quest for the simplification of tax payments that led the FIRS to roll out the electronic filling service, under the integrated tax administration system.

He explained that the, “e-tax Pay is an online self-service tax payment system whereby the taxpayers are given opportunity to pay their taxes through their banks’ online payment portal. It is an initiative put in place by FIRS in collaboration with Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and approved collecting Banks, to assist taxpayers pay their taxes with maximum ease.

“Taxpayers can do it themselves using the electronic service channels provided by their bankers. These service channels will include the banks internet banking, ATM and other mobile banking platforms.”