The Enugu State Government has clarified that the recently discussed Enugu Mortuary Tax is not intended to generate revenue but rather to deter families from leaving their deceased loved ones in the mortuary for extended periods.
This statement was made by the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Emmanuel Nnamani, as he addressed concerns surrounding a circular that has gone viral, which was directed at mortuary attendants across the state.
According to the contentious circular, ESIRS has activated the Mortuary Tax in accordance with section 34 of the Birth, Deaths, and Burials Law Cap 15, Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004.
The document stated, “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 on a daily basis.”
It goes on to instruct that payments must be made prior to the collection of the deceased for burial, with the revenue remitted to the ESIRS through any commercial bank under the mortuary tax in the Enugu State IGR Account.
In response to the uproar, Nnamani emphasized that this tax is not a new initiative, asserting that it has been part of the Enugu State Mortuary Tax Law for several years.
He accused some users on social media of manipulating the date on the circular to present it as a recent development.
Nnamani clarified, “It is an indirect tax paid by mortuary owners, not deceased family, and it is just N40, not N40,000.”
He further explained that if a body remains in the mortuary for an extended period—up to 100 days, for instance—the mortuary would then owe the state 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, assuring that since its implementation, no family has been denied the right to bury their deceased.
This approach reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to manage mortuary practices and encourage timely burials within the community.
