Housemaids, artisans to pay taxes in Lagos, LIRS

Mr Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, the Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), disclosed on Tuesday that the tax office had widened its tax net to include domestic workers, house maids and artisans.

The chairman claimed that the new tax regime was in concord with Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode administration’s inclusion of every resident to the growth of the state.

Mr Ogunsanwo who revealed this at the Alausa office, said that the agency had begun the process of overhauling the informal sector with a view to ensuring voluntary compliance by all tax payers.

He also said the agency had identified three categories of tax payers in the sector. According to him, they include market men/women, artisans, micro, small and medium-scale enterprises and domestic staff.

He commented that these categories of people were expected to remit one per cent of what they earned to government’s coffers.

The tax master claimed that the taxes collected will augment government revenue at a time when federal allocations have drastically reduced due to the fall in oil prices.

The chairman also said that a tax guide will be published and translated into pidgin and Yoruba for all to understand.