LIRS: Blow the whistle on illegal tax operations

Lagosians and all stakeholders can blow the whistle on fraudulent tax activities under a new scheme launched by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service in partnership with Deloitte, a management company.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme in Lagos, LIRS chairman Ayo Subair said the Whistle-Blower Initiative will deepen transparency and accountability and uphold a high standard in the administration of the tax system in the state.

According to him,  the platform was introduced to encourage the reporting of illegal actions or financial crimes, through the appropriate channel, with a view to correcting the violations and optimally boost the tax administration in the state.

He said the scheme, an initiative of the state government, will be driven by Delloite Anonymous and the Confidential Whistle-Blowing facility, a platform run by a globally recognised accounting and audit firm, Delloite Nigeria.

Offensive acts under the scheme include acts of commission or omission that borders on unethical conduct of the LIRS employees, management and other stakeholders through the designated channels to the authorities.

“The facility is designed to ensure that concerns about wrongdoings or malpractice observed in the LIRS administrative and operational activities can be raised by any stakeholder without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination, disadvantage or dismissal.

“This facility does not only provide the avenue to report but ensures the credibility of reports through investigation, feedback to the whistle-blower and ensures protection for such whistle-blower from possible reprisals or victimisation for all disclosures made in good faith.

“The whistle-blowing initiative is a two-way affair; even though it is aimed at exposing the LIRS staff involved with misconduct, employees of entities who want to report employers who circumvent tax laws or even members of the public who wants to raise the alarm on persons or entities who willfully commit financial crimes leading to revenue loss for the state can make use of the whistle-blowing platform,” he said.

Subair said Deloitte’s engagement as an independent assessor was to ensure an objective and unbiased review of issues raised.