The Lagos
state government has applied a sledge hammer on six companies presently
operating in the state.
The Lagos
State Internal Revenue Service on Thursday sealed the companies for allege
non remittance of over N50m tax due to the state government.
A statement by the Executive Chairman of
LIRS, Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, listed the
defaulting firms as Nicon Town Management Company with a tax liability of N36m;
Marketing Mix and Company Limited with a liability of N10m; Hope Valley
International Clinic with a liability of N2m; and BEC Consultants Nigeria
Limited with a tax liability of N792,563.47.
Others,
he said, are Goldmine Global Services Limited, owing N505, 812.73, and Brown
Brommel Limited, with a liability of N368, 159.63.
The
government alleged that the companies owed tax liabilities for periods ranging
from one to five years between 2007 and 2012.
The
statement explained that the companies were sealed in accordance with the
provisions of Section 104 of the Personal Income Tax Act 2004 LFN (as amended
in 2011), adding that the errant firms would not be re-opened for business
until all unremitted taxes were paid to the State Government.
Ogunsanwo
warned defaulting companies, especially employers of labour that the state governor,
Akinwunmi Ambode, had zero tolerance
for tax evasion.
He said
the LIRS would soon begin “criminal prosecution” of all tax defaulters in Lagos
State to ensure that culprits were made to face the full wrath of the law.
The LIRS
boss said under the Personal Income Tax Act, a taxable person was statutorily
required to file a return of income for the preceding year at the expiration of
90 days from the commencement of every year of assessment.
He added
that an employer of labour was required to file all emoluments paid to its
employees for the preceding year, not later than January 31 of each year.
“In
addition to that, employers will also be required to furnish the LIRS with the
salary projection of all staff for the current year.
The
implication of which is that a taxable person or corporate organizations who
have not filed their tax returns with LIRS by the stipulated date is in breach
of the provisions of the law, which is a criminal offence that is punishable
under the tax laws,” he said.
He listed
such infractions to include “non deduction of taxes (PAYE, Withholding tax
etc), non remittance of PAYE taxes deducted from employees, non
deduction/remittance of taxes by casual workers, non-filing of tax returns at
the stipulated statutory period, under declaration of income, concealment of
relevant information (Income, fringe benefits etc) with a view to evading tax,
failure to process Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate cards for employees as
a result of non remittance of tax deducted from their emoluments”.
Ogunsanwo
explained that the LIRS had spent the last 10 years on advocacy, publicity and
enlightenment programmes on the statutory obligations of the citizenry to
voluntarily comply by paying their taxes promptly as prescribed in the
constitution of the country and the applicable tax legislations.
He
lamented that in spite of the efforts, many corporate organizations and
individuals still engaged in several infractions.
He
commended those who had continued to express their unalloyed support to the
Lagos State Government by performing their civic duties, stressing that the
voluntarily compliant taxpayers were seen as partners in progress with the
state government.
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