The Enugu state Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) has explained why it imposed 40naira daily tax on dead bodies in mortuaries across the state.
The executive chairman of ESIRS, Mr Emmanuel Nnamani in his reaction to a circular to mortuary attendants across the state, explained that the 40 naira daily tax on dead bodies in mortuaries across the state by the state’s government is inline with the provisions of section 34 of the Birth, Deaths and Burials Law Cap 15 Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, as it guarantees the implementation and enforcement of the mortuary taxation.
He explained further that the daily tax is not 40,000 naira as misconstrued by some but 40naira. Hence, 100 days would amount to 4000 naira.
According to him, the tax is to be paid by mortuary owners per dead bodies deposited in their mortuary through commercial banks to any of the listed government bank accounts.
According to Mr. Nnamani, the aim of the tax is not to generate revenue for the state but to discourage residents of the State from depositing their deceased in mortuaries and to encourage immediate burial of dead bodies.
“The tax is not meant to generate revenue but to discourage people from taking their dead ones to the mortuary all the time,” Nnamani stated
He added that the tax comes into effect 24 hours after a dead body has been deposited into a mortuary; hence, the mortuary owner must pay 40naira for each day the dead body spends at his mortuary.
“The sum of N40.00 only is to be paid by owners of a corpse once it was not buried within twenty-four hours. The amount continues to count daily.
“Kindly ensure that owners of corpses make the payments before collection of the corpses for burial and then remit same to the ESIRS in any commercial bank under the mortuary tax in Enugu State IGR Account,” the circular read in part.