Friday, May 22, 2009

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria

About The Institute

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria started on February 4, 1982 as Association of Tax Administrators and Practitioners. Thereafter, it transformed into Nigeria Institute of Taxation, which was formally launched on February 21, 1982 and statutorily recognized on May 6, 1987 as company Limited by Guarantee.

The Institute was chartered by the Federal Government of Nigeria by the enabling Act No. 76 of 1992 (now CITN Act, CAP C10, Vol. 2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) and was charged with the responsibility, among others, of determining what standards of knowledge and skills are to be attained by persons seeking to become a professional Tax Practitioner or Administrator.




About The Institute

COUNCIL AND ITS OFFICERS

Council is the governing body of the Institute. It is headed by the President who is its Chairman. The Vice-President is the Vice-Chairman. Section 3 of the Act sets out the rules governing the election, composition and terms of office of Council members as follows:

•A Chairman who shall be the President of the Institute;
•A Vice-Chairman who shall be the Vice-President.
•The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service or his representative not below the rank of a Director;
•Two representatives of the Joint Tax Board.
•Fifteen persons elected by members of the Institute.
•A representative each of the following Ministries: Finance and Economic Development and Education
•Two persons to represent institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. The two shall not come from the same Institution.
A member of Council shall hold office for a period of three years after which he retires and thereafter be eligible for re-election. Election to Council is held annually at the Annual General Meeting and is by secret ballot. The rules governing this election are contained on pages 6 to 8 of the Membership Rules and Regulations. The Act gives Council absolute powers to do anything, which, in its opinion, is necessary to carry out the activities of the Institute.


COUNCIL MEMBERS

John Femi Sunday Jegede FCTI - President
Mark Anthony Chidolue Dike FCTI - Vice President
Teju Somorin (Dr.) Mrs FCTI - Deputy Vice President
Adesina Adedayo FCTI - Honorary Treasurer

EXCO Members Other Members
J.F.S Jegede FCTI
M.A.C Dike FCTI
Teju Somorin (Dr.) Mrs FCTI
Adesina Adedayo FCTI
R. A. Quadri (Prince) IPP FCTI
G.O. Simplice (Ms.) FCTI
A. O. Otitoju (Chief), FCTI
G.A. Da - Silva (Barr.) FCTI
C. I. Ede (Chief), FCTI
O.A Sanni FCTI
A. A. Adeola, FCTI
Mikailu Aminu (Prof.) ACTI
R. A Olumegbon FCTI
G. E. Olotu (Mrs), FCTI
H. O. A. Taiwo, FCTI
Dankwanbo Ibrahim (Alh.) FCTI
A. M. Gwaram, FCTI
Chukwuemeka Eze (Barr.) ACTI
Adenike Disu (Mrs.) FCTI
A. A. Bello, ACTI
E. Ebilah (Mrs), FCTI
D. A. Bako (Brig Gen), FCTI




GOVERNMENT NOMINEES B. A. Abdullahi, FCTI Representing Joint Tax Board (JTB)
M. A. Mainoma (Prof), FCTI Representing Nigeria University Commission (NUC)
B. C. Chinegwu (Mrs.) Federal Ministry Of Education
I. Zakariyau FCTI Representing Joint Tax Board (JTB)



PAST PRESIDENTS
David A. Olorunleke, FCTI - 1983 - 1995
James K. Naiyeju, FCTI - 1995 - 1997
Jacob B. Okele, FCTI - 1997 - 1999
Titus O. Aiyewumi, FCTI - 1999 - 2001
Adebimpe A. Balogun, (Mrs) FCTI - 2001 - 2003
Emmanuel N. Osemene, (Late) FCTI - 2003 - 2005
G. Foluso Fasoto FCTI - 2005 - 2007
K.A Adigun FCTI - 2007 - 2009
Prince R. Kunle Quadri (IPP) FCTI - 2009 - 2011


LEGAL ADVISERS Kayode Sofola ACTI,SAN
Abiola Sanni Ph.D FCTI

THE SECRETARIAT OF THE INSTITUTE

Council serves as the governing body for the Institute’s affairs in formulating policies for the Secretariat to implement. In ensuring an effective administration of the Secretariat, the Registrar/Chief Executive who also serves as the Secretary of Council heads the Secretariat.

The Registrar/CE, through the Heads of Departments (Assistant Directors), administers the various activities of the Institute. These Assistant Directors also serve as the Secretary to Committees of Council. The Secretaries/ Assistant Directors are responsible to the Registrar/Chief Executive in carrying out their responsibilities. Enquiries about issues relating to the Institute could be obtained from the Assistant Directors associated with tasks to which such enquiries are needed.

The Institute’s Secretariat is situated at Don De Dieu Plaza, 11, Ikorodu Road, Opposite CPI-Moore, Maryland, Lagos. The Secretariat is structured in line with the objectives of the Institute in order to meet the various needs of the society i.e. members or non-members. This is as stated below:

REGISTRAR’S OFFICE
Registrar/Chief Executive - Mr Jayeoba Abayomi FCTI.
Secretary/Personal Assistant - Mr. Olaolu Apara
Clerical Assistant - Mrs. Damilola Bello

FINANCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asst. Director, Finance - Mr. Kasali Abimbola ACTI.
Asst. Manager, Finance - Mr. Lanre OLasunkanmi ACTI.
Account, Officer - Mr. Olukayode Olaniyi
Account, Officer - Mr. Williams Adebowale
ICT Officer - Mr. Nasir Adegbenga
ICT Supervisor - Mr. Ayoola Olugbenga
Accounts Clerk - Mr. Olayinka Shobande

ADMINISTRATION & CORPORATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Asst. Director, Admin & Corporate - Mr. Gbolahan Bilewu
Manager, Administration - Mrs. Yetunde Sulaiman
Asst. Manager, Administration - Mrs. Patricia Abu
Procotol/PA to the President - Mr. Monday Akonafua
Officer, Receptionist - Miss. Christy Waife
Supervisor, Dispatch - Mr. Abel Idise
Senior Driver - Mr. Ojo David
Secretary/Deskptop Publisher - Mrs. Charles Olawumi
Clerical Assistant - Miss. Christy Omadime
Clerical Assistant - Mrs. Kemi Adeleke
Assistant Supervisor Depatch - Mr. Friday Agboma
Driver/Despatch Rider - Mr. Clinton Udenewa
Driver (President) - Mr. Momoh Yusuf
Driver - Mr. Ayinla Semiu
Driver (Registrar) - Mr. Ojo Ayodeji
Driver (Ass Director, Finance) - Mr. Olalekan Bello
Driver (Ass Director, Membership/Exam) - Mr. Adekola Niyi
Driver (Ass Director, Education/Technical) - Mr. Olaitan Kalejaiye
Protocol/Clerical Officer - Mr. Imeh Nkanga

EDUCATION/RESEARCH & TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
Asst. Director, Edu./Research & Tech. - Mr. Godwin E. Oyedokun ACTI, ACA, CFA
Manager, Research/Tecnical - Mrs. Afolake Oso ACTI
Asst. Manager, Education - Mrs. Elizabeth Adebanjo
Asst. Manager, Education - Mr. Sunkanmi Oshungboye
Senior Clerk, Research & Technical - Mr. Ayodeji Adeyemi
Clerk - Miss. Omolara Ajasa

EXAMINATION & MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT
Asst. Director, Exams & Membership - Mr. Awogbade Adefisayo ACTI
Manager, Membership - Mrs. Risikat Ojo
Officer, Exam/Student Affairs - Mr. Adeyina Adebayo
Officer, Membership - Miss. Ashiru Motunrayo
Officer, Membership - Mr. Robert Aigbodion
Officer, Exam/Student Affairs - Mr. 'Wale Odunmbaku
Officer, Exam/Student Affairs - Mrs. Kemi Oluwagbami
Supervisor, Membership - Mrs. Adeola Oyefeso


ABUJA LIAISON OFFICE
Manager, Abuja Liaison Office - Mr. Abubakar Auwal
Officer, Abuja Office - Mr. Awoyeriju Kola
Clerk - Miss Alufe Nkem

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Tips for CISA / CISM exam registrants

Dear CISA / CISM exam registrants,

Very often there are messages posted on different CISA / CISM groups by various people asking for guidance and tips for preparing for the CISA / CISM exam.

I would like to provide some inputs for the CISA / CISM exam.
Note: The views expressed here are my personal views and not necessarily those of any organization or association, I am working or worked for or associated with. The points are based on my personal experience and you would need to tailor them as per your work experience, educational background and suitability. Every individual is different and would need to have a self designed plan for the exam. The following points would be helpful in designing that plan and preparing for the exam.

APPROACH: For CISA exam the approach should be necessarily that of an auditor and for CISM that of manager. The last alphabets ‘A’ and ‘M’ are important. We may try to relate the questions in exam with our work experience and sometimes might think in a different way than actually required. Example – We might be doing certain things in our company as per the practices followed there but that may not be the MOST appropriate way from auditors / managers point of view

BASIC EXAM MATERIAL: I referred to 2 basic study materials – the CRM and the Question bank by ISACA.

CRM – HOW MANY TIMES YOU NEED TO READ IT: I think reading it once thoroughly and then again for weak areas or revision should be sufficient. If a person is good at one reading and grasping everything in first effort then that would suffice. In short read it to understand and not for the sake of reading. If you read a topic once and don’t understand then try reading again and still if you don’t understand look for other reference materials. Reference material other than

CRM should be used as reference if required for clarification and cannot substitute the CRM. There are many good books in the market but from the exam point of view they may not be required for thorough reading in entirety. Referring them only if required for specific topic would be a good idea.

TOO MUCH TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE MAY NOT BE REQUIRED: Don’t get in to too much of technical stuff and detailed technicalities. One must know the basics though and have the concepts clear.

REGULAR STUDY AND STUDY PLAN: For me a regular study of 1-2 hours daily for 2 months before the exam and for 10-12 hours a week before the exam helped me a lot. Remember this is not a kind of exam that you can wait for last week when you would take a leave from office for study. I suggest one must go through the CRM domains and sub topics and ISACA question bank at a very initial stage, get a feel of the preparation required and identify the strengths and weakness and then prepare a schedule accordingly. You might need to sacrifice some of your time from your routine activities.

TRY SOLVING MAXIMUM NUMBER OF QUESTIONS: Answering maximum number of questions from ISACA question bank, particularly in the last week before the exam helped me a lot. It made me go to the exam with right mindset, confidence and maintaining the right speed for answering the questions. Also it helps to identify areas of improvement.

ANALYSE YOUR ANSWERS AND LOGIC: Analyze your answers in detail after going thorough the mock test or Question bank. Know the logic behind the correct answer and check if you are thinking in the same way. For the questions where you could not understand the logic read the
CRM and reference material and have your doubts clarified.

IMPORTANCE OF MOCK TEST OR PRACTICE TESTS: It is experienced that during first 2 hours of the exam the vigor is high and it gradually comes down towards the end of exam. Going through mock tests with a continuous sitting of 4 hours in exam simulated environment helps a lot as you know what it is like sitting for 4 continuous hours and answering those tricky questions.

READ QUESTION COMPLETELY AND CAREFULLY: During the actual exam you may feel that the question you are attempting is the same that you have gone through mock test or question bank. BUT still read the questions carefully and completely along with all the 4 answer options. You would have a question/s where there is slight change in wording and so the answer would be different from your earlier one. Also there may be case where one of the options is slightly changed to make it the MOST appropriate answer than the one you had attempted while going through question bank. From my experience you won’t find a single question repeated as it is from the ISACA question bank. In short don’t jump to the answer but read the question carefully and completely.

MAINTAIN RIGHT SPEED IN THE EXAM: During the exam maintain the speed. Don’t run too fast in haste of completing the exam and don’t lag behind by spending more time than what is required. You have 200 questions and 4 hours. A good approach is to break this into a target of 50-55 questions per hour. After every hour you can check your speed and adjust accordingly. Its good to take a 1-2 min break (just relax on your seat) after each hour and then continue.

11. STUDY CIRCLE, REVIEW COURSE AND STUDY GROUP: Joining the local chapter study circle course, and/or review course and / or forming study group is useful particularly to improve in weak areas. Different people from different educational background and work experience come together and share their views and knowledge which is not only helpful from exam point of view but also helps is networking with people. Another benefit is that you remain in touch with your CRM and domains of study and keeps the pressure for preparing for the exam.

12. SELF BELIEF AND CONFIDENCE: Believe in yourself that you would be able to clear the exam. A regular study, review of your study plan and appropriate action would help you maintain the right direction and also make you feel good, confident and stay focused.
Hope these points would be useful to you in preparing for the exam. Wish you all the best for your exam

Thanks and regards

Sachin Porwal

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tax Rates in Nigeria

Personal Income Tax Rates

Chargeable Profit
%
Tax on Band
Cummulative
Charge Profit
Cummulative
Tax
First
30,000.00
5.00%
1,500.00
30,000.00
1,500.00
Next
30,000.00
10.00%
3,000.00
60,000.00
4,500.00
Next
50,000.00
15.00%
7,500.00
110,000.00
12,000.00
Next
50,000.00
20.00%
10,000.00
160,000.00
22,000.00
Over
160,000.00
25.00%
Minimum Tax
The Employment Income on which minimum tax is due is still N30,000.00

Personal Relief’s (S.33)

Personal AllowanceN5,000 plus 20% Earned income
Children AllowanceN2,500 per child (Limited to 4 children)
Dependent Relative AllowanceN2,000(max for 2)
Life Assurance Relief (LAR)Allowances are given in respect of premium paid by the taxpayer on policies taken out of the life taxpayer.

Rates of Withholding tax for companies are as follows:

Dividend, Interest & Rent

10.00%

Royalties

10.00%

Commissions, Consultancy, Technical & Management

10.00%

Construction

5.00%

All types of contacts and agency arrangements, other than

Sales in the ordinary course of business

5.00%

Directors’ Fees

10.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

Companies Income Tax Rates

The income tax applicable to companies from 1961 to date are as follows:

1st April 1961 - 31st March 1972

• 40% plus super tax. (Super tax was payable under certain circumstances)

1st April 1972 - 31st March 1975

• 40% on the first N10, 000 plus 45% on the excess Over N10, 000

1st April 1975 - 31st March 1976

• NIL on the first N6, 000 plus 40% on the excess over N6,000

1st April 1976 - 31st March 1978

• NIL on first N6, 000 plus 45% on the excess over N6,000

1st April 1978 -31st March 1979

• NIL on the first N6, 000 plus 50% on the excess 6,000
• 10% special levy payable on banks excess profit

1st April 1979 – 31st March 1986

• 45%
• 10% Special levy payable by banks

1st Jan 1987 – 31st Dec. 1988

• 40%
• 20% Small business rate with effect from 1988
• 10% Special levy payable on banks excess Profit

1st Jan 1989 – 31st Dec. 1990

• 40%
• 20% Small business rate with effect from 1988
• 10%Special levy payable on bank excess profit

1st Jan.1991 – 31st Dec. 1991

• 40%
• 20% Small business rate. Special levy abolished by decree 63 of 1991

1st Jan 1992 – 31st Dec. 1992

• 35% (Decree changing rate from 40%- 35% was passed in 1993)

1st Jan.1993 – 31st Dec.1995

• 35%
• 20% Small business rate 2%Educational Tax

1st Jan 1996 – Date (2008)

• 30%
• 20% Small business rate 2%Educational Tax