Tax non-compliance among small corporate taxpayers in Nigeria : the influence of tax tribunal and tax compliance costs

This study investigates the determinants of small corporate taxpayers’ tax non-compliance in Nigeria. This study develops a model of small corporate taxpayers’ non-compliance, which is underpinned by the theories of deterrence and social exchange. The model contains both economic (audit, complexity, penalty and tax compliance costs) and non-economic (bribery, fairness perception, public goods supply, perception of the tax tribunal and tax rate perception) determinants of tax non-compliance. This study extends the current literature by investigating the direct effect of perception of the tax tribunal and incorporating the mediating effect of tax compliance costs. The study administered questionnaires to a sample of 450 small corporate taxpayers operating in Kano state of Nigeria. PLS-SEM was used to test the hypotheses. This study found that audit, complexity, fairness perception, perception of the tax tribunal, tax compliance costs and tax rate perception have significant direct effects on tax non-compliance. Tax compliance costs are found to mediate the influence of audit, complexity, perception of the tax tribunal and tax rate perception on tax non-compliance. The findings of this study provide important insights to the tax authority, policy-makers and future researchers in understanding the tax non-compliance of small corporate taxpayers. To curtail tax non-compliance in Nigeria, the tax authority should widen its audit net and make the information about detecting tax evaders public to serve as a warning to potential evaders. The tax system should be fully automated to reduce the complexity and high compliance costs borne by the taxpayers. The tax authority should make the procedures of the tax tribunal available to the public through the mass media to increase positive perceptions about the tribunal and reduce non-compliance accordingly. The current tax rate structure should be made fairer by giving a lower rate to small corporate taxpayers to eliminate the perception of unfair tax burden

Complexity of Nigerian Company Income Tax Act (CITA 2007): Readability assessment

Simplification of tax laws in terms of readability to aid easier and complete compliance by taxpayers is a key issue to achieving the objectives of every country’s tax system. The connection between language and compliance is obvious and understanding of the laws is crucial for all stakeholders to be able to carry out their respective responsibilities (Tan & Tower, 1992). In particular, simple tax laws would reduce the burden of compliance costs. Under the self-assessment system (SAS) regime, the simplicity of the tax laws is very important as most responsibilities defined by the laws have been shifted to the taxpayers. Thus, complexity of the tax laws may be an obstacle to both the taxpayer and the SAS. This study examines the readability of the Nigerian Company Income Tax Act 2007 (CITA 2007) and explores its association with compliance and administrative costs and SAS of taxation. The study employs readability formulae (Flesch Reading Ease Score and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level), Average Sentence Length (ASL) and Percentage of Passive Voice (PPV) to determine the level of readability of the Act. Furthermore, this study adopts interview approach to triangulate the readability results obtained using the above formulae, and explores the association between the readability of the Act and compliance costs, administrative costs and SAS. The study found that the CITA 2007 has low level of readability which made the Act very difficult to understand. The low level of readability is also found to be associated with increased compliance costs as well as administrative costs, which subsequently impair the progress of the SAS in Nigeria. The study recommends that tax simplification policy in Nigeria should include language simplification in order to reduce compliance costs and administrative costs. With this tax simplification effort, it is hoped that tax compliance under the SAS can be improved and more tax revenue can be generate

Stock Market Development, Foreign Direct Investment and Macroeconomic Stability: Evidence from Nigeria

Stock market development is not only important in economic development of a nation, it is also an important indicator of future economic activity and a nation’s economic strength. This paper employs the Johensen co-integration and the error correction mechanism (ECM) techniques to examine the impact of foreign direct investment and macroeconomic stability (exchange rate and inflation rate) on the level of development of the Nigerian stock market over the peiod 1981-2010. The results reveal that a long run relationship exists between the variables and FDI was found to have a positive but insignificant impact on stock market development. The results also demonstrate that inflation rate has a negative insignificant effect but exchange rate has a significant and negative relationship with stock market development. The paper recommends that foreign firms operating in the Nigeria’s oil and gas and telecommunication sectors should be encouraged to be listed to promote the development of the market. This should be complemeted with policies that will promote macroeconomic stability to attract more foreign direct investment and making the contribution of the foreign direct investment meaningful to the economy. Keywords: Stock market development, FDI, macroeconomic stability, error correction model, Nigeria

A proposed model on the determinants of tax non-compliance behavior among small corporate taxpayers in Nigeria: The indirect effects of public governance quality and compliance cost

In view of the declining oil prices and production challenges, Nigeria economy which is highly dependent on oil revenue must enhance its taxation to ensure stable flow of revenue for financing development.This study is a proposed model of small corporate taxpayers’ tax non-compliance behavior in Nigeria. This study reviews previous literature and developed its model based on deterrence and social exchange theories.This study extends the findings of previous studies by investigating the direct influence of the role of tax tribunal and the moderating and mediating effects of public governance quality and tax compliance costs respectively on non-compliance behavior of small corporate taxpayers in Nigeria. If the model is validated, this study would continue to collect data and analyze accordingly with the hope that the findings of the final study would help in formulating policy to curtailing tax non-compliance and hence increasing government revenue from taxatio

Takaful’s medical products among international students in Malaysia

International students enrolled in Malaysian higher education institutions (HEI) incur two financial costs including the sum of tuition fees payable to receiving institutions and their study and living costs.A third and compulsory takaful or Islamic insurance contribution was recently integrated as another additional component of educational cost.Yet, majority of international students who do not have Islamic finance and banking established in their respective countries or do not have knowledge about of takaful (Islamic insurance) can hardly understand fully the concepts, operation and the benefits of the takaful.This paper is an attempt to compliment previous work by addressing the conceptual and operational differences between takaful and conventional insurance in relation to international students. Also the paper highlights some of the benefits that can be derived from group family takaful as one of the most important Islamic health insurance cover relevant to international students

Awareness and Use of Information and Communication Technologies among Extension Agents in Kaduna State of Nigeria

This study assessed awareness and use of information and communication technologies among extension agents in Maigana Zone of Kaduna State A.D.P. All extension personnel in the zone (70) were interviewed through the use of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to achieve the objectives of the study. It was found that 60.15% of the respondents were aware of at least one ICT in the study area. The multiple regression analysis of the relationship between the extension workers’ socioeconomic characteristics and ICT usage showed that level of training and membership of professional association showed a positive significant relationship at p<0.01 likewise marital status and educational level were positively significant at p<0.05. Therefore, it was concluded that socioeconomic characteristics of the extension agents in the study area influence their level of use of ICT. It was recommended that provision of ICT facilities and stable power, as well as capacity building on ICT usage should be promoted among extension personnel. This would enhance effective communication with farm families for improved productivity

Awareness and Use of Information and Communication Technologies among Extension Agents in Kaduna State of Nigeria

This study assessed awareness and use of information and communication technologies among extension agents in Maigana Zone of Kaduna State A.D.P. All extension personnel in the zone (70) were interviewed through the use of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to achieve the objectives of the study. It was found that 60.15% of the respondents were aware of at least one ICT in the study area. The multiple regression analysis of the relationship between the extension workers’ socioeconomic characteristics and ICT usage showed that level of training and membership of professional association showed a positive significant relationship at p<0.01 likewise marital status and educational level were positively significant at p<0.05. Therefore, it was concluded that socioeconomic characteristics of the extension agents in the study area influence their level of use of ICT. It was recommended that provision of ICT facilities and stable power, as well as capacity building on ICT usage should be promoted among extension personnel. This would enhance effective communication with farm families for improved productivity

Influence of process variables for green solid-liquid extraction of Andrographolide from Andrographis paniculate

In this study, the influence of process variables for green solid-liquid extraction of andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata (AP) was investigated using a 23 complete factorial experimental design (CFED) augmented with center points. The process was studied at 80 C in a pressurized liquid extractor (PLE). The Overall Yield of Andrographolide (OYA), Overall Selectivity of Andrographolide (OSA), and Overall Selectivity of Andrographolide with respect to Other Phytochemical Compounds (OSA/OPCC) were the process responses used as performance indicators. The results were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), analyzed using half-normal probability plots, Pareto charts, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and 3D response surface and contour plots. Among the three process variables, the particle size was found to have the greatest significant effect, followed by time, and the smallest was the solid-liquid ratio on OYA, OSA and OSA/OPCC. In addition, the double interactions of particle size and time had the most pronounced effects, followed by solid-liquid ratio and time on both OSA and OSA/OPCC, while double interactions of solid-liquid ratio and particle size had the least influence

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030