The Income Tax Department (NRA) in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group has conducted a day’s training session on Income Tax Returns for various stakeholders in the district at the Kenema District Council Hall.
Welcoming participants, the NRA Public Affairs Officer Mohamed Bangura said that the objective of the workshop was to provide taxpayers with the requisite skills and knowledge to enable them to fulfill their legal obligation with respect to Income Tax Returns as contained in Section 97 of the Income Tax Act of 2000. He told the participants that the training was a replication of similar training already done in Freetown during the previous year.
Mr. Bangura stated that it is the intention of NRA not to only collect money from business people but to also sensitise them on why it was obligatory for them to pay. He said the objective of the training is adding that in pursuant to section 97 of the Income Tax Act of 2000. Taxpayers are required by law to file an Income Tax Return by March 31st or 90 days after the end of the tax year. He therefore called on business people to comply with the tax revenue collection date.
Making a presentation about Income Tax Returns, Tax payer’s rights and obligations, Mr. Bangura said Income Tax Return is a form issued by the NRA which requires a taxpayer, such as a business to declare chargeable income for the year as well as taxes paid during the year.
He revealed that it is an offence for any one to knowingly or recklessly provide false information or omit information in order to mislead tax officials, “you could be taken to court for such acts.” Based on this estimate NRA will then calculate the provisional tax assessment for the year. Other facilitators at the workshop were Sheka Samuka Kamara, Principal Collector who spoke about filling the forms, and Sheku Kutubu Konneh of ECO Bank, Kenema Branch who spoke on record keeping in general.
By Saffa Moriba
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