The Federal Inland Revenue Service has launched a USSD code, *829#, to simplify tax payments as part of efforts to enhance the ease of doing business and improve taxpayer satisfaction.

The FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, introduced the initiative at the Revenue House in Abuja during the agency’s Customer Service Week, with the theme “Above and Beyond.”

According to a statement on Wednesday from the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, the initiative makes Nigeria the sixth African country to deploy USSD code for simplifying tax payment processes.

The agency said that taxpayers on any mobile telecommunication network in the country can now get across to FIRS in real-time on issues relating to the retrieval of Taxpayers’ Identification Numbers, verification of Tax Clearance Certificates, information on tax types and rates, locating the nearest FIRS office, and getting answers to general tax-related inquiries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Adedeji said the instant messaging protocol demonstrated further commitment of the agency to simplifying tax administration and ensuring that “every taxpayer whether in bustling cities or remote areas can engage with FIRS seamlessly.”