A financial expert, Mr Lukman Karim, has said that crumbled businesses will bounce back with the review of Company Income Tax (CIT) as contained in the 2019 Finance Bill.
Karim said this in Abuja Thursday.
He stated that a lot of businesses had collapsed due to high tax rate regime but that such would return with this new finance bill signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari had Monday via his Twitter handle announced the signing of the Finance Bill into law.
“I am pleased to announce that this morning I signed into Law the Finance Bill, 2019,” he tweeted.
Karim, a tax expert with Karkay Matrix Solution, said that with the CIT under the new law, the small companies less than N25 million revenue would not pay any tax.
He said a medium company with turnover of between N25 million and N100 million revenue, would pay CIT of 20 per cent while big companies that generated above N100 million was expected to pay 30 per cent CIT.
The expert stated that hence, this relief given to small and medium companies would encourage them to come forward and disclose their revenue and enjoy the benefits.
Karim urged tax collectors to be more proactive otherwise some companies may fall into the medium scale would window dress their accounts so that they could fall into the small scale business that would not be liable to tax.
Speaking on the Value Added Tax (VAT), the expert said there was ‘no cause for alarm’ as the development would not affect ordinary Nigerians.
He said food and some other basic essential items were exempted as that had been enlisted in the VAT exemption list accordingly.
“With the new law, definitely, organisations will be willing to pay tax and VAT increment burden may not be felt easily.
“This is because more businesses springing up make most people independent of their finances and as much reduce fake lifestyles.
“VAT is not applicable on consumables like foodstuffs and basic necessities of life,” he said.
(NAN)
