Many Federal Government workers have continued to express concern about the high income taxes that are deducted from their salaries monthly through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) model.
The civil servants, who spoke in Abuja on Sunday, February 23, 2025, said it was frustrating given the country’s current economic situation.
They demanded an immediate reduction in the PAYE tax deducted from their monthly salaries.
The federal workers said the huge amount of tax deducted from their monthly salaries had reduced their purchasing power going by the increasing price of goods and services.
A civil servant, Ese Williams, urged the federal government to revisit the issue of income tax, which she said has placed a huge burden on finances of civil servants.
Williams said the new minimum wage had not substantially improved the monthly earnings of government workers, yet the taxes remain high.
“Imagine a level 15 officer with a monthly salary of less than N400,000 paying almost about N60,000 tax. It is alarming,” she said.
Ibrahim Abbas complained that policies of the federal government appeared to be designed against federal civil servants.
Abbas urged the federal government to urgently revisit the issue of taxes that the civil servants were made to pay and also initiate policies to improve their welfare.
He stated: “I do not even see any reason to justify the high tax regime that we are subjected to in recent times.
“While we were expecting improvement in our welfare, every policy, from removal of fuel subsidy to floating of the naira appears to be against government workers.
“The federal government will need to take a second look on this issue of high taxes.”
On his part, Aliu Sule lamented that there was no infrastructure on ground to justify the huge taxes being deducted from salaries of civil servants.
Chevron to sack 20% of workers
“We still provide most necessities for ourselves. From security to electricity and water, we devise ways to provide all these for ourselves, so there is no justification to increase our taxes,” he told NAN.
The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, called for greater accountability and transparency in the management of national resources.
Speaking recently at a retreat of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), Adesina urged the federal government to be more responsive to the needs of the people.
“paying taxes while having to dig your wells, provide generators for your house, and build roads to your home is a thing of concern,” he said.
Adesina noted that national resources belonged to the people and should be managed transparently and responsibly by the government.
He stated: “Citizens must uphold their responsibilities, but governments must be held accountable.
“There must be transparency, public property, accountability, and responsiveness in the way these resources are used to transform the society.
“In Scandinavian countries, when people pay taxes, there is a responsibility on the part of governments to provide what society needs.”
All Nigerian residents aged 18 and above earning income from Nigerian sources are required to file personal income tax returns.
This includes salaried employees, self-employed individuals, and those with other sources of income such as investments, rental income, or business income.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform, Taiwo Oyedele, said the proposed tax reform bills would address the situation.
NLC orders workers to boycott telecom services over 50% tariff hike
Oyedele said individuals earning about N1.7 million or less per month will pay lower PAYE tax under the proposed bills.
He stated that workers earning the new minimum wage of N70,000 and slightly more would also be fully exempted from tax obligations.
Oyedele added that these thresholds would result in over 90 per cent of workers in the public and private sectors paying lower taxes.
According to him, high income earners will pay slightly more in a progressive manner up to 25 per cent for the ultra-high net worth individuals.
Oyedele’s explanation came against the backdrop of general concerns that workers might pay more under the proposed tax reform initiatives.
He said planned changes to the current tax table of personal income brackets and rates were to discourage arbitrage in some cases between the two income tax regimes.
- ‘I’ll wield big stick’: Adeleke vows to depose Osun monarchs over communal clashes - March 31, 2025
- Myanmar declares week of mourning as earthquake death toll surpasses 2,000 - March 31, 2025
- FG shuts Independence Bridge in Lagos April 1 - March 31, 2025
