The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced plans to enforce tax payments for social media content creators and influencers in Nigeria.
According to Dare Adekambi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, these influencers constitute a significant group of tax evaders.
Adekambi highlighted that many content creators, including skit makers and influencers, are not fulfilling their civic obligation to pay taxes despite earning income in dollars.
The FIRS aims to collaborate with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to bring these digital entrepreneurs into the tax net.
While acknowledging the challenge of tracking these individuals, Adekambi emphasized the FIRS’s intention to use data and technology to scale up tax revenues.
He pointed out that social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are already contributing to government coffers, raising the question of why content creators on these platforms should not do the same.
The FIRS plans to engage with content creators and influencers, encouraging them to voluntarily comply with tax regulations. However, Adekambi warned that if a friendly approach is disregarded, the FIRS will resort to enforcement measures.
He highlighted the importance of leveraging technology and data, a key goal of the current FIRS chairman, to monitor and predict revenue. In developed countries like the United States and Australia, social media influencers are already required to file tax returns, setting a precedent that Nigeria aims to follow.
