The Edo State government has flagged off the National Tax Identification Number designed to provide residents in the state a unique identification number for effective tax administration.

The registration of the residents for the identification number began on Monday.

Speaking shortly after his registration, Governor Adams Oshiomhole urged the residents to ensure they obtained their Tax Identification Number, as it was a means of avoiding multiple taxation.

“It will help to know those who are in the taxable bracket and help in the building of a National databank which is essential to National planning,” Governor Oshiomhole said.

The Chairman of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr Oseni Elama, who introduced the scheme to the Governor, said that the scheme would make provision for a card containing the bio data of the taxpayer which would be acceptable anywhere in Nigeria.

There have been reports of multiple taxation in Nigeria due to lack of proper documentation of individuals’ tax records. States in Nigeria are adopting the Tax Identification Number system to tackle the challenge.