The State of Osun Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) on Wednesday, 17th February, 2016, sealed up Globacom Limited in the State of Osun for not effecting the payment of outstanding, TAXES AND OTHER LEVIES in respect of mast/ base station and laying of fibre optics, which had become due and payable to Osun State Government arising from back- Duty-Investigation-Exercise.
This was made known by the Acting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Dayo Oyebanji today after the exercise. He said, the action aims at giving a bite to the company’s non-compliance to ensure remittance of all the outstanding due to the State. The distrain action is in line with the provision of Section 104 of the personal Income Tax Act 2004 LFN (as amended in 2011) and will not be reopened for business until all full compliance is attained.
He further explained that several meetings had been held with their representatives in the last three years in order to resolve the outstandings, however, all proved abortive. He made reference to the latest meetings held with the company on the 8th of October and 13th of Novembe, 2015 but the company representatives always renege on their promise.
Mr. Oyebanji said, the Osun State House of Assembly also intervened in the matter by inviting Globacom to appear before the special session on 3rd of December, 2015. Though the company representatives appeared before the House on that day, but all the promises to remit the outstanding tax liabilities within two weeks is yet to be effected up till now.
Another important issue is the failure to obtain relevant approval for laying of fibre optics in line with the State’s relevant regulation on physical and urban planning. He emphasized that in the last few months, it has been discovered that GLO has been laying cables and masts especially in Ife Axis without obtaining necessary approval and thus violating the law.
He stressed further that, OIRS has intensified its efforts on advocacy, publicity and enlightenment programmes on the statutory obligations of the citizenry for voluntary compliance by paying their taxes promptly as prescribed in the Nigeria constitution and the applicable tax legislations. In spite of its efforts, some corporate organizations and individuals still engage in several violations. As a result of this, OIRS is set to begin enforcement of tax payment, prosecution of all tax defaulters in the State of Osun to ensure that the defaulters are made to face the full scale of the law.
He also explained that, Personal Income Tax Act mandates all taxable institutions to file its annual tax return for the preceding year at the expiration of 90 days from the commencement of every year of assessment, a taxable person or corporate organizations who fails to file its returns with OIRS by the stipulated date is in breach of the provisions of the law.
He, however, thanked those who have continued to express their unalloyed support to the State of Osun through their regular tax payment. He assured members of the public that Osun State Government is committed to building a vibrant economy aimed at boosting commerce, industry and improving the welfare of the citizenry which can only be achieved through prompt tax payment of all the concerns, he added.
In his conclusion, he re-iterated that OIRS will not hesitate to take legal action against recalcitrant individuals or corporate organizations that fail to perform their civic responsibility to the State government in the area of tax payment.
