The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) said it generated N43.8 billion in January 2025.

The acting Chairman FCT-IRS, Michael Ango disclosed this yesterday at the annual sensitization campaign to residents to pay their tax.

He noted that what was generated indicated that the service had started the year on a strong note and would surpass the N262 billion collected last year.

He also urged residents to pay tax as an obligation, warning that non-compliance would attract sanctions and strict penalties, including fines and possible prosecution and a minimum fine of N500,000 on defaulters.

The extant law mandates every person in the FCT, whether in employment or not, to file their annual income tax returns by the 31st of March every year.

“Employers who failed to file their annual returns by the January 31 deadline face a minimum fine of N500,000, with potential criminal prosecution for recalcitrant offenders. Those who refuse to pay are taking away our roads, our hospitals, and our schools. It is unfair to those who comply,” Ango stated.

Ango noted that individual annual income tax returns must be filed by March 31, 2025, while the agency aims to improve voluntary compliance through continuous sensitization efforts, adding it will not hesitate to impose.

He said payment of taxes would provide revenue required by the FCT Administration to build a new city, rehabilitate roads, schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure.

His words: “All of this costs a lot to achieve, and I’m sure that anyone who has been a resident of Abuja in the last year and a half will attest to the fact that the Honorable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has shown a singular-minded commitment to improving the face of the FCT.

“But he cannot achieve this with his personal funds, he can also not achieve it with the subvention or the allocation from the federal government alone. This is where we as the FCT IRS come into play. It is our responsibility to collect revenue on behalf of the FCT for use of the FCT residents.

“So, every time we come out to interact with the general public, we want to make it clear that we are working for the general public. We are not working for the Honorable Minister. We are not working for the FCT Administration. We are actually working for the residents of the FCT.”

Ango who noted that the service, which collects personal income tax, capital gains taxes from individuals, collect stamp duties from individuals, property taxes is now really focusing on entertainment tax in 2025.