Several business premises in the Federal Capital Territory were sealed of by the FCT Internal Revenue Service, FCT-IRS, on Thursday, for contravening tax laws.
Acting Director Legal Services of the FCT-IRS, Festus Tsavsar, who led the enforcement team to seal off a school, hotel and other business premises, said the action followed a Court Order obtained by the service.
Some of the premises closed include Regency Hotels, Gratias International School, Rural and Urban Homes Ltd, Trevari International Company and Phenomenon International Company.
Tsavsar explained that the hotel and businesses premises contravened FCT tax laws by refusing to file their annual returns, despite issuing several notices, including a court summons.
“Today we went out to execute the Court Orders, which ordered the FCT-IRS to seal off the premises of defaulting taxpayers that were brought before it.
“We have been able to effectively comply with the court order by sealing off the premises as directed.
“We went to Gratias International School located in Games Village, Kaura, and sealed it off.
“The offence they committed was refusal to file their annual returns despite many notices, including a Court Summon but the school management refused to comply.
“We are at their premises and the management refused to attend to us; and refused to open their doors, despite many calls for them to do so to enable us to enforce the court order,” he said.
He expressed concern over the continued refusal by the school’s management to comply with the tax law, adding that the action was simply tax evasion, which he described as a criminal offence.
He added that to worsen the case, the management had changed their name to DGIS College to evade tax payment.
“This is also a criminal offence. The school has not been paying their taxes at all, and also refused to file their annual returns since establishment,” he said.
From the school, the team proceeded to Residency Hotels, No. 4, Port Harcourt Crescent, Area II, Garki, where it was also sealed for failing to file its annual returns.
“From there we went to seal off Rural Urban Homes ltd in Utako and two business premises residing in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, namely Trevari International Company and Phenomenon International Company,” he said.
He warned the affected business owners against any attempt to unseal the premises and advised them to go to the court to obtain a court order before they could do so.
“If they go against the Court Order and unsealed the premises by themselves, they have committed a criminal offence, and the court will order their arrest.
“They will be prosecuted in line with the tax law, particularly Section 81 of Personal Income Tax Law and upon conviction they will be jailed for six months in addition to a fine,” he added.
Tsavsar equally warned that FCT-IRS would go after all tax defaulting companies and individuals, and advised taxpayers to comply with existing tax laws, pay their taxes and file their annual returns.
