Greetings everyone!
The subject of taxation in Nigeria is one that brings confusion to a lot of her citizens because many people who are not directly employed by the government or do not own a company think they do not pay tax, while some know that as long as one is an adult, they pay tax—whether directly or indirectly. The only issue is that not everyone knows the percentage they pay out annually or monthly.
Have you gone to a local market where shops are rented to market women and even plain grounds are rented out to anyone who wants to use the space? If you know such a situation, you’ll also know that there are people—specifically from the local government council of that community—who visit the market on every market day to collect money from those traders. That’s taxation, and those traders do not argue about it because they know it is their duty to pay.
In my city, once in a while, there are staff from the local government council who move around to tax every shop or store along the road. That is not their shop rent but tax.
Also, for people who are using bank accounts, the monthly SMS or electronic charges that banks deduct from the account are not just mere deductions but are taxes too. Yes, there’s a tax that’s carved out from electronic usage in the country. I do not mean the electronics we have in our homes, no—I mean the basic services that, whether we use them or not, we are obliged to pay tax on.
So, in all this, does everyone know the amount of tax we pay? No, not everyone knows. The people who do know are the ones paying directly to the government such as organisations or government-employed staff. So, in a nutshell, we all pay taxes.
But the challenge we are facing is that the money that comes out from tax is not properly used; it is rather channelled into people’s pockets for personal use, and there is nothing we can do about it.
Let me not take it far—let me use our immediate environment as an example. Most of the taxes that are collected from market women and shop owners do not all get into the revenue purse of the Local Government or the State. It is from there that the staff who went for the job will illegally collect their salaries and pay the remaining into the account, and the people in power get their salaries too. They’ll all be cool with the normal slang of "government money is everyone’s money, and he that’s opportune to chop from it should utilise it very well." This is why people fight to get into positions—because there are just too many benefits loaded.
Taking the recent happenings in Nigeria as a case study, fuel subsidy was removed because they claimed they wanted to use the money that had been going into subsidy to develop the country.
Okay, have we seen any tangible thing? No! The most funny thing is that they wanted—or they actually did, for a few individuals—share N50,000 to Nigerians as a benefit from the money gotten from fuel subsidy removal. Okay, even if that is what is going to make things better, did the money reach up to 1% of Nigerians? No, it ended at 0.02%, and that 0.02% are the people in power and their relatives.
Gosh! I hate to talk about anything government!
Thanks for reading.
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What I hate most is when they seized people goods who failed to pay especially the old woman and someone that just arrived in the market and haven't sold anything yet
Yeahh, I know of this and it's very painful.
As if they're the ones that put up the business for them. It's so bad.
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You really nailed it. All you said is the real fact about the country. God bless you for sharing with us.
God will help us in this country.
Amen!
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It's infuriating to see how public money, which should be used to improve people's lives, ends up in the pockets of a privileged few. You clearly expressed the frustration that many people feel, and this needs to be said louder and louder
The worst thing is that, things are not looking that there'll be changes. We just have to live line this. So bad🥲
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Hmmmm you have just said it all and mind. So much is exploited from the citizens without any clear dividends of democracy from the government. God must help us
The thing is so bad.
It has been like this since day one and I don't think it's ever going to change.
May God help us, amen.
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This is the bitter truth that they hate👌
How I wish a meeting could occur where citizens and the government could have a heart-to-heart conversation🤔
Everybody pays tax in Nigeria, but it all falls under corruption. Take a look at Ticket for Motorbikes, Tricycles, and others; all the money goes to whose pocket?
Your points are valid👍👍
This? For where it can't happen and end peacefully 😅. Anyone going for such meeting must be fully prepared.
The situation is so bad.