Dipo Olowookere
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deadline for filing of annual tax returns in Lagos State has again been pushed forward by one month, Business Post has learned.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Head of Corporate Communications at the Lagos State Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), Ms Monsurat Amasa, confirmed that the new deadline is June 30, 2020.
Recall that the initial date to file annual returns for individuals (both employees and self-employed persons) was March 31, 2020, but the agency shifted forward to May 31, 2020.
But the statement from Ms Amasa today said tax payers can now file the returns any time on or before Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
It was explained that this move was part of the continuous effort of the Lagos State government to provide the much-needed relief to taxpayers and mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Executive Chairman of LIRS, Mr Ayodele Subair, “As the Lagos State Government keeps abreast of global best practices in containing the COVID-19 pandemic and eases the effects of an economic downturn on taxpayers and residents of the state, LIRS had initially extended the deadline for filing annual tax returns for two months, from the statutory March 31 of every fiscal year to May 31, 2020.
“We constantly debated what other measures could be taken as an organization to support individuals and businesses at this time, hence, the additional one-month extension from June 1, to June 30, 2020. It is our sincere hope that taxpayers take advantage of this new extension to duly file their returns.”
The tax collecting organisation has encouraged taxpayers to access the LIRS eTax platforms for all tax administration matters, including filing of annual returns, generation of assessment and payment schedule and payment of the liabilities from the comfort of their homes and offices.
It stated that all that they have to do is to simply log on to the e-Tax platform via https://etax.lirs.net.
LIRS said updates on business operations and alternative payment platforms of the service can be obtained by visiting the LIRS website, www.lirs.gov.ng, checking its various social media platforms or calling the LIRS Customer Care Centre on 0700 CALL LIRS (0700-2255-5477).
The agency has appealed to residents of Lagos to support the efforts of the state government and the COVID-19 Incident Commander for Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by adhering strictly to the COVID-19 safety guidelines as issued by relevant health authorities.
