Why we imposed tax on dead bodies – Enugu govt

• The latest tax imposition is coming weeks after the state government made headlines for promulgating law that will see alternative energy and power source like generator and solar taxed.

The Enugu State Government has cleared the air on the tax imposed on corpses in mortuaries across the state.

News had filter through on Friday that the south-east state government had imposed tax on dead bodies in morgues.

The development is contained in a Mortuary Tax circular addressed to all the Mortuary Attendants.

According to the circular, ESIRS in line with the provisions of section 34 of the Birth, Deaths and Burials Law Cap 15 Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, approved the implementation of the Mortuary tax.

“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 said.

The latest tax imposition is coming weeks after the state government made headlines for promulgating law that will see alternative energy and power source like generator and solar taxed.

Reacting to the mortuary tax reports, the state government clarified that the move has nothing to do with ramping up the state revenue generation.

The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Mr Emmanuel Nnamani, said the tax was not new.

Nnamani noted that it was within the Enugu State Mortuary Tax Law which had been in existence for years.

According to him, the amount to pay as the mortuary tax was N40 daily, not N40,000.

“It is an indirect tax paid by mortuary owners, not deceased family and it is just N40, not N40,000. Since its introduction, nobody has been denied burying their dead ones.

“It means that if the corpse stays in the mortuary for 100 days, the mortuary is expected to pay to the state a sum of N4,000.

“The tax is not meant to generate revenue but to discourage people from taking their dead ones to the mortuary all the time,” Nnamani stressed