Amid coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has introduced stamp duty on house rent and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

According to DailyTrust, the latest decision was made public by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The FIRS Director, Communications and Liaison Department, Mr Abdullahi Ahmad, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

This comes as Nigerians continue to grumble over the imposition of stamp duty on bank transactions for which Access Bank received flak on social media as users complained over deductions,

Ahmad urged Nigerians and other residents to ensure that documents pertaining to rent or lease agreements for their homes or offices, C of O as well as a list of other common business-related transaction instruments are subjected to authentication with the new FIRS Adhesive Stamp duty.

He said this was necessary in order to give the instruments the force of law and make them legally binding on all parties involved in such transactions.

He added that the new FIRS Adhesive Stamp Duty came into being at the official inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Audit and Recovery of Back Years Stamp Duties recently in Abuja.

Ahmed quoted the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami as saying “chargeable transactions under the Stamp Duties Act as amended in the Finance Act 2019 are in two categories – Fixed Duty Instruments and Ad-Valorem Instruments.

“The following are the chargeable transactions in the Fixed Duty Instruments category, Power of Attorney (PoA); Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), Proxy form; Appointment of Receiver, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Joint Venture Agreements (JVA), Guarantor’s form, and Ordinary Agreements Receipts.

“While ad-Valorem Instruments chargeable under the Stamp Duties Act are Deed of Assignment, Sales Agreement, Legal Mortgage or Debentures, Tenancy or Lease Agreement, Insurance Policies, Contract Agreements, Vending Agreement, Promissory Notes, Charter-Party and Contract Notes.

“Stamp duty is basically charged in two forms, either ad valorem where duty payable is a percentage of the consideration on an instrument or a fixed sum irrespective of the consideration on dutiable instrument or document.”

According to him, the FIRS therefore, enjoins members of the public to make sure that any of the above-listed Instruments they give or receive in the course of their business or official transactions have the new FIRS Adhesive Stamp Duty affixed or stamped on them. This, he noted would authenticate or legalise such Instruments

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