Oil firms lead FIRS’ list of top taxpayers in 2021
THE Nigeria Liquified Petroleum Gas Company Ltd and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company ( NNPC), led the list of 18 top performing taxpayers in Nigeria in 2021, data released by the Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS) has shown.
While the Nigeria Liquified Petroleum Gas company was recognised as the most supportive taxpayer, the NNPC was listed as the highest taxpayer.
Others on the list included: Mobil Producing Limited, Star Deep Water Petroleum, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Total E & P Nigeria Limited, Airtel Networks Limited, Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited, Nestle Nig. Plc, Dangote Cement, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd, NIG Agip Oil Co. Ltd, British American Tobacco Marketing, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc.
Also on the list are Northern Cables Processing and Manufacturing Limited ( NOCACO) and Ikeja Electric Plc, all of which the FIRS recognised as the most improved in tax filing and VAT compliance respectively.
Executive Chairman, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, while commenting on the list, said he was grateful to the country's taxpayers for their support, noting that without them the Service would not ha ve been able to achieve the feat it recorded in 2021 where it surpassed its tax collection target for the year and crossed the N6 trillion threshold for the first time.
According to him, "The FIRS is pleased to celebrate the top- performing taxpayers who contributed to our success in 2021. The Service surpassed its tax collection target in 2021, and in doing so , crossed the N6 trillion threshold for the first time.
"The feat recorded by the Service was made possible by the uncommon leadership of the President, Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Force s of Nigeria – Muhammadu Buhari, the active support of our supervisory Ministry, the backing of the National Assembly and its leadership as well as the cooperation of all other stakeholders in the tax area."
He said the Service was particularly grateful to the top tax payers whom he said defied the very harsh global economic conditions imposed by the lingering COVID- 19 pandemic to pro - duce a heroic performance in tax payment, compliance and support.