Nigeria: Total tax contribution reports for 2021 financial statements
Audit and preparation of financial statements for the 2021 financial year
Audit and preparation of financial statements for the 2021 financial year
Companies that are beginning the audit and preparation of financial statements for the 2021 financial year need to consider including reports of their various tax contributions along with other financial indices as part of the financial statements and or directors’ report.
Such reports are key elements of companies’ responsible taxation and transparency reporting as a part of their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) engagement.
Background
ESG is now at the top of the leadership agenda, with tax playing an important role. Corporate tax transparency now has a profound effect on business reputation and governance. It is important for companies to not only contribute their fair share of taxes but also take proactive steps to document their contributions and influence on the society in which they operate.
The recently passed Finance Act, 2021 has widened the scope of taxes paid by companies. The requirement for companies to continue to contribute more has never been higher in Nigeria. Although financial statements provide some information regarding the amount of companies income taxes paid in any year by companies, this is insignificant compared to the total amount of contributions made either directly or indirectly to all the three tiers of government and their agencies. Most contributions go unpublished and thereby deprive companies the opportunity to not only demonstrate how much they already do (which may even be a factor in the continued introduction of new taxes and levies by governments), but also the opportunity to understand the cost profile of their businesses and plan around it. Equally, there is very little exposure at the board level as to the amount and type of contributions companies make due to lack of data in usable form.
Read a January 2022 report [PDF 217 KB] prepared by the KPMG member firm in Nigeria
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