The Federal Government is pushing for the harmonisation of the National Identification Number (NIN) and Tax Identification Number (TIN) to streamline access to taxable income information in the country.
This call was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during a statement released on Monday in Abuja, as conveyed by Mr. Ozoya Imohimi, the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized the importance of this integration to combat tax evasion, noting that merging the NIN and TIN into a single number would make tax evasion more difficult.
He also stressed the need for collaboration between key agencies such as the Joint Tax Board (JTB) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to improve overall efficiency.
He advocated for a close partnership between the JTB and NIS, comparing it to that of “siamese twins,” suggesting that such synergy would lead to significant achievements.
Tunji-Ojo highlighted the prevalence of tax evasion among expatriates at both state and federal levels and proposed that the NIN should serve as a unique security identifier displaying tax status and other relevant information.
The minister urged the JTB to develop solutions for harmonizing data and identity systems, promoting the adoption and implementation of technology for this purpose.
In response, Mr. Olusegun Adesokun, the Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, stated that his visit aimed to enhance collaboration with the ministry on capacity building and initiate discussions on expatriate data and tax matters.
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