The Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) has promised to educate business owners, farmers and entrepreneurs on various tax incentives available, especially those designed to ease the burden for growing businesses.

FIRS chairman, Zack Adedeji, made the promise at the ongoing 12th Benue National Trade Fair on Saturday at IBB Square Makurdi.

Mr Adedeji, who was represented by director of taxpayer services, Lovette Onanuga, said from pioneer status incentives to tax reliefs for agriculture-related investments, there was also something to support almost every sector represented at the trade fair.

“The theme for this year’s trade fair, ‘Industrialisation and Commercialisation of Benue Agriculture and Solid Minerals as Panacea for Growth’, resonates strongly with our work at FIRS.

“Benue, which is the food basket of the nation, holds vast potential not only in agriculture but also in untapped solid minerals, and to fully unlock these potential, there must be efforts to build sustainable businesses.

“When taxes are properly harnessed and managed, they become a catalyst for growth, enabling the Federal Government to invest in critical infrastructure, public services, and policies that support agriculture, mining, trade, and enterprise,” he said.

He stated that some small and medium businesses take the word tax as a burden.

According to him, the tax services departmental theme for the month, “Breaking Down Tax Incentives and Reliefs”, is timely so that people would see tax not as an obligation but as an opportunity.

Mr Adedeji encouraged the people to visit the help desk at the trade fair venue for questions about registration, tax clearance or incentives they qualify for.

He said that the FIRS team was ready to solve every issue, or they could use the self-service code *829# without internet access.

The tax controller and emerging tax officer, Rose Ugoh, who also spoke, said FIRS has rolled out some initiatives for the benefit of taxpayers.

Ms Ugoh listed the incentives to include TaxPro Max, which was an online platform meant for easy tax filing and payment and is accessible to small business owners.

The controller said a taxpayers education programme was also an initiative aimed at providing nationwide campaigns and workshops designed to improve understanding of tax obligations among micro and small enterprises.

She stated that FIRS was not only improving revenue collection, but it was also fostering a culture of voluntary tax compliance and economic formalisation.

The president of the Benue Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BECCIMA), Mhir Iyenge, said the trade fair in Benue was put on hold due to the ongoing security unrest in some local government areas.

 (NAN)