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The Domestic Tax Department (DTD) of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has held a key strategic meeting with Tax Consultants operating in Sierra Leone.
The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner Edwin Conteh, aimed to galvanize the consultants’ efforts in ensuring their clients meet their tax obligations, with a particular focus on the impending deadline for filing final Income Tax returns.
During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Conteh underscored the critical importance of timely compliance, reminding the consultants that the final income tax filing, which includes the payment of the fifth installment for the majority of business institutions, is due on or before the end of April.
The DTD Commissioner, James Bobor Tengbeh, further emphasized the vital role played by tax consultants as key partners of the NRA. He stated that the meeting served as a platform to reiterate the need for consultants to actively engage with their clients and encourage them to fulfill their tax responsibilities. Commissioner Tengbeh also reminded attendees of the penalties stipulated by law for non-compliance. However, he stressed the Authority’s preference for voluntary compliance over the imposition of penalties.
In a clear message, Commissioner Tengbeh also urged the tax consultants to ensure their own tax obligations are up to date, highlighting that the NRA is currently undertaking an enforcement drive. He concluded by emphasizing the necessity of filing returns before the deadline and encouraged taxpayers facing any difficulties to reach out to the Authority for assistance. Notably, the Commissioner stated that appeals for penalty waivers would not be entertained.
The tax consultants, acting as crucial intermediaries between the NRA and taxpayers, actively engaged in the discussions. They acknowledged the importance of compliance and shared valuable insights into the challenges their clients often encounter. These challenges ranged from a lack of sufficient awareness regarding tax obligations to technical difficulties experienced with the NRA’s online filing system.
The DTD team present at the meeting addressed these concerns directly, providing clarifications and committing to ongoing efforts to resolve the issues faced by taxpayers. This collaborative approach between the NRA and tax consultants signifies a concerted effort to improve tax compliance rates and streamline the tax filing process in Sierra Leone. The coming weeks will be crucial as businesses prepare to meet the end-of-April deadline for their final income tax submissions.
