FIRS Directs Property Owners, Agents To Charge Tenants Stamp Duty

Zainab Sanni

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has directed landlords and property agents to charge six per cent stamp duty on all tenancy and lease agreements.

FIRS who made this known in a statement on Wednesday said the burden of payment of the six per cent lies on the beneficiary of the tenancy or lease agreement, whom the Stamp Duty Act identified as the tenant or renter and the responsibility of collection and remittance falls on the landlord or agent in charge of the property for lease or rent.

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“In any case, the party making the payment shall have the obligation to account for the applicable stamp duties.”

Some other Stamp Duty types and their rates are appraisement or valuation of property, 1.5 per cent; certificate of occupancy, partnership N1,000 flat rate; gift of land, 1.5 per cent; legal mortgage, 0.375 per cent; legal mortgage (upstamping), 0.375 per cent; deed of conveyance or transfer on sale of a property, 1.5 per cent; memorandum of understanding (related to land, sales, joint venture, surrender, subdivision agreements, 1.5 per cent; power of attorney (irrevocable/land-related), 1.5 per cent; and sales agreement, 1.5 per cent.