Lawmakers have urged State Internal Revenue Services to issue Tax Clearance Certificates (TCCs) within three months after the end of the preceding tax year.
The call follows growing complaints that Nigerian workers are facing difficulties obtaining TCCs due to delays by tax authorities, despite fulfilling their tax obligations through the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system.
“Millions of Nigerians in both the public and private sectors faithfully discharge their tax obligations through the PAYE system in Nigeria but never receive their Tax Clearance Certificate because of undue delays from the relevant tax authorities,” said Mr. Balogun, a lawmaker.
According to him, the absence of a clearly defined timeline for the issuance of TCCs has created administrative inefficiencies and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
These challenges, he noted, have forced many affected employees to resort to irregular means of sourcing or borrowing the certificates in order to meet urgent requirements.
“We are concerned that affected employees are, in most cases, compelled to resort to irregular means of sourcing or borrowing TCC in order to meet urgent requirements,” Balogun added.
The House of Representatives has therefore called on State Internal Revenue Services to ensure that TCCs are issued promptly, citing the hardship faced by workers who are sometimes compelled to part with their limited income to obtain the certificate.
