Anambra targets N75bn revenue in 2026

ONITSHA — The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, AIRS, has set a target of N75 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, representing an additional N28 billion over the N47 billion generated in 2025.

The Executive Chairman of AIRS, Ikeazor Okonkwo, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with newsmen in Onitsha.

Okonkwo said the agency planned to raise the additional revenue through expansion of the tax net, improved electronic payment systems and intensified efforts to block revenue leakages.

He said the agency would broaden its database of taxpayers across the formal and informal sectors while strengthening compliance monitoring and enforcement.

According to him, many individuals and corporate organisations had continued to evade their tax obligations, depriving the state of revenue needed for development.

“My observation is that many individuals and corporate organisations have formed the habit of evading revenue payments, thereby denying the state of its projected annual revenue targets, which in turn adversely affected development projects in the state,” he said.

Okonkwo said AIRS had commenced full statutory enforcement and compliance monitoring against non-compliant taxpayers across the state in accordance with applicable tax laws.

He said the enforcement followed the expiration of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration and Tax Regularisation Scheme, VAIDS, for taxpayers in the state on September 5, 2026.

According to him, the VAIDS window allowed taxpayers to voluntarily regularise outstanding tax obligations and benefit from applicable concessions.

He said with the expiration of the scheme, taxpayers who failed to regularise their outstanding liabilities would now be subject to statutory compliance and enforcement measures.

He listed those affected to include taxpayers who failed to regularise outstanding tax liabilities under VAIDS, received Best of Judgment assessments and failed to object to or settle them within the prescribed period, or underpaid, under-remitted or otherwise failed to discharge their statutory obligations.

Okonkwo warned that non-compliant taxpayers could face enforcement measures prescribed by law, including final statutory demand notices, sealing of premises where applicable, recovery of outstanding liabilities through lawful means, prosecution and court proceedings in respect of established tax offences.

“All affected taxpayers are therefore advised to take immediate steps to regularise their outstanding tax obligations and ensure full compliance with the applicable tax laws,” he said.

The AIRS chairman disclosed that about 500,000 taxpayers had already been captured in the state’s database, adding that the agency planned to expand the figure to about one million in the coming months.

He said the enforcement process would be largely digital, with reduced human and physical interaction.

According to him, the agency had embarked on public enlightenment through the media, jingles, announcements in churches and markets, as well as public address systems, before commencing the enforcement exercise.

Okonkwo also disclosed that AIRS was establishing an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to enable taxpayers with genuine objections to assessments to present their cases.

“We are also setting up an alternative dispute resolution mechanism so that if there is any genuine objection that any taxpayer has, he can come up and the issue will be addressed,” he said.

He said the agency had compiled a list of taxpayers who had not complied with their obligations and was working with its legal advisers on the enforcement process.

“Essentially, what we are trying to do is change the culture of tax compliance. A culture that has taken several years to develop will take some time to dismantle,” he said.

Okonkwo explained that every taxpayer was expected to file tax returns declaring income from wages and other sources, including rental income, investments and other businesses.

He said AIRS had devoted its first six months to educating and engaging taxpayers, while using available data to identify areas of significant non-compliance.

He added that the agency would continue to engage compliant taxpayers while taking lawful steps against those who failed to meet their statutory obligations.