OPTIMIZING TAX REVENUE TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA.
This study examined the strategies for optimizing tax revenue to promote economic growth in Nigeria. Tax revenue is proxied by custom and excise duties, company income tax, value added tax and capital gained tax while gross domestic product (GPD) was used to proxied economic growth using ex post facto research design. Ability to pay theory, benefit theory and resource dependence theory were employed. Findings showed that the only two source of revenue that enhance economic growth in Nigeria significantly are value added tax and custom excise duty while company income tax and capital gain tax do not show any effect. The study concluded that optimizing tax revenue using tax can be achieved when there is a strong political will as it is shown from the study that tax revenues lead to positive effect on economic growth. The paper thereafter recommended that government should redesign and improve the existing tax policies and strengthen the link between payment of taxes and the benefit derive from it. Government is also advised to desist from frequent changes in the tax structure and broadened the tax base
Key words: Revenue, Tax revenue, Economic growth, Tax.
