By Esther Omotiloye
The Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS) has told Ekiti people that the recently issued assessment notices are not enforcement measures or new taxes and taxpayers are allowed under the law to request a review of their assessment.
Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, the chairman of the revenue service, Mr Olaniran Olatona said taxpayers should embrace dialogue and the legal channels for review rather than resort to protests or maligning social media campaigns.
Olatona who explained that a notice of assessment is a statutory requirement under the Nigerian Tax Act with the intent of notifying taxpayers of their tax liabilities based on available records, stated that the notice does not amount to enforcement and does not compel immediate sanctions against taxpayers.
He said every taxpayer who is dissatisfied with an assessment has the right under the law to file an objection within 30 days, after which the Service would review the assessment based on evidence presented by the taxpayer.
The revenue service chairman noted that EKIRS has consistently encouraged dialogue and had, in many cases, reviewed and adjusted assessments where genuine evidence showed that the initial assessment did not reflect the taxpayer's actual income.
He also told business owners in the State that the revenue agency is more interested in the growth of their businesses rather than seeing them fold up.
While expressing concern that some taxpayers chose protests instead of taking advantage of the dispute resolution process provided by law, Olatona reiterated the commitment of the Service to fairness, transparency and taxpayer-friendly administration.
He explained that recent improvements in technology and data intelligence have enabled the Service to generate more accurate assessments by relying on broader taxpayer information than was previously available under the manual system.
The Chairman said the reforms have also reduced revenue leakages, improved accountability and expanded voluntary tax compliance without placing additional burdens on law-abiding citizens.
According to him, the Service deliberately suspended active tax enforcement in July, 2025 to evaluate the impact of the new tax reforms, adding that despite the suspension, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) continued to grow steadily through voluntary compliance and automation.
He disclosed that Ekiti recorded its highest monthly IGR of about ₦2.7 billion in June, 2026, while revenue for the first half of the year stood at ₦15.6 billion, representing an increase over the corresponding period in 2025.
Olatona appealed to traders, market associations and other taxpayers to engage with the Service whenever they have concerns, assuring them that every legitimate complaint would receive prompt attention in accordance with the provisions of the law.
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