Knowing Your Taxes | Starting Your Business

In Nigeria, all persons in employment – individuals who own a business, non-residents who derive income from Nigeria as well as companies that operate in the country – are liable to pay tax. Tax remittance will be a key aspect of your business compliance obligations and understanding the tax system in Nigeria and your state of residence will be important for the success of your business.

It is important for you to know that some taxes are payable to the federal government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), while others are through the state or local government.

Here is a list of taxes you should be aware of before you start your business.

Companies Income Tax (CIT)

Companies Income Tax (CIT) is a tax on the profits of incorporated entities in Nigeria. It also includes the tax on the profits of non-resident companies carrying on business in Nigeria. The tax is paid by public limited liability companies, registered ventures and partnerships.

CIT is administered and collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and contributes significantly to the revenue profile of the service.

In filing for CIT, audited financial statements are statutorily required. This requires the services of external auditors to prepare and/or certify the accounts to be submitted.

Stamp Duty Tax

Stamp duty is tax paid to the federal or state governments on documents such as conveyances on sale, bills of exchange, promissory notes, agreements, contracts or even documents such as letters and certificates of admission, instruments of apprenticeship, insurance policies, etc.

You will also be required to pay this tax when registering your company. The legal effect of a document which is duly stamped according to S.19 of the Stamp Duties Act is basically that it will be admissible as evidence in a court of Law.

The federal government has the sole authority to impose charge and collect stamp duties in respect of documents relating to matters between a company and an individual, group or body of individuals. While, the state government, on the other hand, has authority to collect stamp duty in respect of documents executed between individuals or persons at such rates imposed or agreed with the federal government.

Education Tax

This is  tax chargeable on all companies registered in Nigeria from chargeable profits as contribution to the Education Tax Fund. All registered companies in Nigeria are required to pay a percentage of their assessable profit into an Education Tax Fund. This tax is charged at 2% of chargeable profits.

Personal Income Tax

This is taxed charged on incomes of persons (which covers individuals, sole proprietorships, communities and families). If you are going to start any type of business, you shall pay tax for each year of assessment of the aggregate amount from every source of your income for the year. This includes profits from your trade or business.

You will be required to register with the State Board Internal Revenue to obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Tax Payer ID which will enable you remit this tax.

A TIN is an identification number for the person which is used by the Internal Revenue Service in the administration of Tax. A TIN must be furnished on returns, statement and other tax related documents.

Pay As You Earn (PAYE)

If you have staff working for you, they will be required to pay Personal Income Tax through the PAYE system. Under this system, you as the employer will deduct the prescribed tax from your workers’ monthly  salaries and pay directly to the Internal Revenue Service through designated banks on behalf of the employee.

The State Board of Internal Revenue and FIRS collect PAYE.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

All small and big businesses that deal with taxable products or services in Nigeria have to pay VAT. It is a consumption tax payable on goods and services consumed by any person, whether government agencies, businesses or individuals. It can also be defined as a tax on spending/consumption levied at every stage of a transaction but eventually borne by the final consumer of such goods and services. It is levied at the rate of 5%.

The VAT system is invoice based and not cash based.

VAT is primarily collected by the seller when any taxable item or service is sold. The seller then nets off the VAT and submits it to FIRS through a designated bank. The bank will immediately issue an e-ticket as evidence of payment.

To collect your original e-receipt, you will be required to present the e-ticket and bank teller as evidence of payment at the tax office.

Withholding Tax (WHT)

This is an advance and indirect source of taxation deducted at source from the invoices of the tax payer. Its main purpose is to capture as many tax payers that may have evaded tax into the tax net.

If your business or company supplies goods or services to another company an invoice will usually be issued as evidence of a transaction. The purchaser is also obligated to obtain evidence of remittance in the form of a WHT credit note on behalf of a supplier.

A WHT credit note will include the following:

1. Credit Number
2. The name of the tax payer (Purchaser of your goods or services who deducted the tax and remitted on your behalf)
3. The name of the beneficiary (Your company or business)
4. The deal and nature of the transaction
5. WHT rates are usually between 5-10%, depending on the type of transaction. Also, the collecting authority for this tax is the FIRS or State Inland Revenue Service.

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a tax on the profit obtained from the disposal or exchange of certain kinds of assets.

All companies registered in Nigeria that earn from the exchange or disposal of any form of assets whether in Nigeria or outside are liable to CGT.

CGT is 10% of the profits from sales of the qualifying assets.

Hotel Occupancy and Restaurants Consumption Tax

If you decide to go into the hotel or restaurant business or you operate an event centre, you should be aware of this tax. Any such establishment is expected to pay 5% tax on goods and services consumed by customers.

This tax is paid only to the state government.

Conclusion

It is advisable for you to hire a tax consultant/accountant who understands all the tax requirements to help you correctly prepare returns and calculate payments. This will save you the stress of dealing with tax authorities and paying huge sums in penalties which will may erode your business profit or run the risk of the tax authorities shutting down your business.

Entrepreneurship fund: Bank of Industry opens portal for corps members

The Bank of Industry (BoI) has commenced the third batch of its Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) programme, targeted at serving members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) only. To this end, the bank has opened a portal, www.boi.ng/gef, for NYSC members to apply for the fund. The portal which will open for three weeks closes on 7th February 2018.

The GEF programme encourages business idea competition among entrepreneurial youths. BoI stated: “Only top 1000 candidates will be selected to participate   in a four day training to be held in 7 centres across all geopolitical zones of Nigeria. “After the training, candidates will be required to develop a more detailed business plan in line with the lessons learnt at the training and their business plan will be evaluated for funding in line with the GEF product program.” The GEF scheme is the BoI’s first youth programme which was launched in October, 2015 and is implemented by the bank in partnership with the NYSC Directorate. The initiative is specifically targeted at youths undergoing the mandatory one year national service programme. The aim is to change the job-seeking mindset of Nigerian youths to entrepreneurship and self-reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self-employment and to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy.

Again, visit www.boi.ng/gef to apply.

MFBs Will Follow Macroeconomic Trend In 2018 — CEOs

Chief Executives of Microfinance Banks (MFBs) have projected that the performance of the subsector in 2018 will follow the trend of macroeconomic indices during the year. Speaking in different interviews with Financial Vanguard, they expressed optimism about improved performance notwithstanding the numerous challenges confronting the subsector.

Managing Director, Supreme Microfinance Bank, Mr. Jide Aremo, stated: “I believe that we have seen the government in power doing a lot of things, but these things are not coming out. I want to believe that as these things are coming out, more money would be pumped into the economy. It would reflate the economy because salary earners would earn more and small savers would be able to do some things. Our loan portfolio would grow and the bad loan portfolio would reduce and that would be better for the industry in the economy.”

Managing Director, NPF Microfinance Bank Mr. Akin Lawal, added: “Macroeconomic indices, generally, determine where we go. If the MPR is 14 percent, inflation rate is about 17 percent and we have poor power supply and a weak purchasing power, then, the next thing to do as an institution is to know how to study and see how you can operate successfully even with all those challenges in place. You are not an island to yourself, economic indices determine how you flow.” Lawal stated further “One thing I must say is that this economy is throwing more people into the poverty level, which means the customer base of microfinance is expanding. But then, you don’t want to lend to indigent but to people who are economically active and are ready to do something. We have hope. The hope is that Nigeria has come out of recession where more people are going into export and the non-oil export is on the increase even though it is not up to the point we expected but it is growing. With that, there is hope that we can improve on what we have done in 2017. My take is that we need to study the economic indices and see how we can operate successfully in spite of the country and its challenges.”

On his part, Managing Director, Accion Microfinance Bank, Mr. Taiwo Joda, said: “For the microfinance, we are a very strong member of the Nigerian Association of Microfinance Banks, NAMB, and we have consistently been a strong advocate of financial inclusion. It would amaze you to know that over 80 percent of eligible Nigerians are excluded. What we have done is to look at ways of making it easier for these people to open account. We are also representing the NAMB to engage the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and other regulatory authorities to ensure that this sector is not left out of things. When we talk about people who are financially excluded, we also look at those with physical disabilities.

“For us as a bank, in the New Year, we are setting out to serve our customers better. The first thing is to multiply available channels and access through which our customers can receive services through technology. We are going to deploy a lot of technological changes so that they can be able to use their USSD code, even though we have one but we are going to make the digit easier to recall by introducing a new USSD code. All our customers would be able to do business on their internet platform, transfer and receive money wherever they are in Nigeria and outside the country because we realize that we also serve a market that go as far as China to buy products to sell here in Nigeria.

We would be giving them platform that makes it easy for them to access their fund. They don’t need to go with plenty amount of cash to do business and fall prey of hoodlums and robbers on the road. We would be focusing on geographical expansion. This year alone we would be opening 80 more branches so as to reach those that have been financially excluded from access to loan and other financial services.

Source: Vanguard News

Improving Your Relationship With Money

The turning of the calendar year is traditionally a time when you feel inspired by the possibilities of a new start, a new beginning, and the onset of positive change. It can be a time that is empowering, energetic and life supporting; it can forever alter the trajectory towards a more successful money life.

But like any change, you want to consider the good, the bad, the ugly, and importantly, the challenges that transitions can bring.

You can conquer your transition by distilling it down to key essential components:

1. As Simon Sinek says, “Start with Why”. Understand not only why change is beneficial to your life but also that the outcomes are so powerful and important that no other choice remains. Begin with a declaration.

For example: I must become debt-free within the next 12 months; or

I must accumulate X Naira to go towards a down payment on a home, or

We must open and fund a school savings program for my child by February 1.

You get the drill; it’s about why, in your heart and mind, something must occur. These are known as your “Money Musts”.

2. The second step is to get a handle on where you are right now. If your “must” is to pay off your credit cards, then you have to know exactly how much money you owe, to whom, and how much money you have to reduce the debt. Using credit card debt as the example, you might need to tighten your belt and alter some of your spending decisions to a greater or lesser degree. If paying off the cards is so important, ask yourself what you’re willing to do to make that happen!

The same question applies for savings and investment goals. If you cannot make more money, the cash flow needs to come out of your current spending and shifts need to be made in your spending habits.

3. Look back to look forward. Your money beliefs, habits and behavior typically stems from your childhood. What you heard, synthesized, and adopted from your early life becomes your “normal” in adulthood. However, just because this is what you grew up believing doesn’t make it necessarily appropriate or beneficial for you today. Consider that those beliefs, habits and behaviors might not support your adult values -
or your partner’s, if you have one. If that’s true for you, it’s time to rethink your beliefs, rewire your habits and realign your behavior to actuate your life today and your future goals.

4. Anchor past successes. Can you remember a time when you made a successful change? It doesn’t matter how small it might seem, but if you can recall what you did and how your mindset impacted the outcome, it can be a powerful tool in working towards success on your New Year’s resolution. Remember the feeling you had when you accomplished your goal; and use that sentiment to commit and motivate you to make future positive changes and money habits.

5. Consider the roadblocks. If you’ve ever been on a diet, you know that somewhere between the first day of eating sensibly and you reaching your goal, there will be a piece of chocolate cake, dish of ice cream, candy bar or bagel that looks you right in the eye and demands you to eat it - tempting you to veer off your track to success. Your ability to get past that “demand” is the difference between success and failure.

These transition periods can be hard to overcome, but if you know it’s coming and manage your expectations so as not to be surprised or off put, they are less difficult to conquer. This is where you need a support system, so that when that part of your brain is telling you to dig into some retail therapy or that delicious looking cookie, you need to be armed with the strength to resist. This is where having friends and professionals around you to help support you is so vital.

Surround yourself with those who have the expertise and the willingness to help support and guide you through the process of getting yourself to where YOU want to go.

6. Small steps rule! Setting up small steps leads to successes and lowers the pain threshold. Small steps are less intimidating and tend to be easier to envision; and thus take action on. If you are currently paying the minimum on the credit card each month, consider the following: pay your bill every time you get paid, not when the bill is due.

Taking this small advanced action step can make a big difference. Find places in your spending that hold less value to you than getting out of debt. Start with the areas of the least pain. For example, set a smaller entertainment budget by, say, N20,000 per month and adding that N20,000 to your payment. Think of the things you can change that won’t kill you, but that will help decrease your debt each pay period.

7. Missteps are common. It’s not uncommon to make mistakes. If you’re changing your eating habits, and one day you fall to the desire for a piece of cake, there is nothing preventing you from starting the next day anew with the understanding that a misstep is not fatal. The same applies to changing your money behaviors. You decide your goals and the road to get there.

8. Appreciate the journey. Celebrate each success Each step forward deserves acknowledgment. The act of focusing on what you did right sets up the next victory. Each dollar you pay off, or dollar that you accumulate, brings you closer to your ultimate goal. Don’t wait to celebrate! Build one victory on top of the other. You deserve it.

Your New Year’s resolution can be the beginning of a new, richer and a more purposeful money life. It requires awareness, action and support to take it from thought to action. I know you can do it!

Credit: Michael F. Kay, Forbes.com

Open-Letter to Employees

Dear Employee,

In the euphoria of New Year 2018, I welcome you to the first working day in the first week of the first month of this year. I understand you are still in the celebration-mode from the Yuletide and holiday season. Hmmm…and you wished the season never ends, but it's time to get back to the work-mode because employers are waiting to get the job done. As a matter of fact, money spent during the celebration season have to be re-couped.

In this year, be smart, be intelligent, increase your skills, focus on your strengths, dwell in your comfort zone because that's where creativity and productivity lies. Be a doer and a supporter in your workplace, embrace challenges, and take intelligent risk. Be loyal. Seek to understand your employer. Be committed to the organisation goals. Be proactive. Run your work-space like you're the CEO. Don't indulge in office politics. Express your concerns to your boss. Be emotionally intelligent - your boss is also human. Work in harmony with other colleagues. And uphold the following values:

Good Behavior

All companies specify what acceptable behavior is, and what is not, when hiring an employee. Many even summarize expected conduct in job descriptions or during the interview process. Behavior guidelines typically address topics, such as harassment, work attire and language. Workers who don’t follow codes of conduct may receive written and verbal warnings, and ultimately be fired.

Integrity

A key component to workplace ethics and behavior is integrity, or being honest and doing the right thing at all times. For example, health care employees who work with mentally or physically challenged patients must possess a high degree of integrity, as those who manage and work primarily with money. Workers with integrity also avoid gossip and sneakiness while on the job.

Accountability

Taking responsibility for your actions is another major factor when it comes to workplace ethics and behavior. That means showing up on scheduled workdays, as well as arriving on time and putting in an honest effort while on the job. Workers who exhibit accountability are honest when things go wrong, then work toward a resolution while remaining professional all the while.

Teamwork

A vital aspect of the workplace is working well with others. That includes everyone from peers to supervisors to customers. While not all employees will always like each other, they do need to set aside their personal or even work-related differences to reach a larger goal. In many instances, those who are not considered “team players” can face demotion or even termination. On the other hand, those who work well with others often can advance on that aspect alone, with teamwork sometimes even outweighing performance.

Commitment

Ethical and behavioral guidelines in the workplace often place a high amount of importance on dedication. Although possessing the necessary skills is essential, a strong work ethic and positive attitude toward the job can carry you a long way. Plus, dedication is often viewed in the business world as “contagious,” meaning employees who give a strong effort can often inspire their co-workers to do the same.

All the best,

Segun-Martins Ogunyemi

CEO, Pro Logic Ideas Consulting.