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AfricCon Blogspot Covered - Edo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), yesterday, disclosed that federal government agencies, parastatals and departments are indebted to the state government to the tune of N1.3billion of tax liabilities from 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
AfricCon Blogspot Covered - Edo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), yesterday, disclosed that federal government agencies, parastatals and departments are indebted to the state government to the tune of N1.3billion of tax liabilities from 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The board chairman, Chief Useni Elamah, who disclosed this at a press briefing on the heels of the altercation between Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the BIR, noted that the said amount also includes N680 million owed it by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Besides, the board also faulted comments credited to the corporate media officer of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, who was reported to have alleged that the BIR agents shut down Benin airport due to debt owed it from tenement rates.
He said, “We have tried as much as possible to educate the public regarding the position of the law, taxes that are collected by Edo State Board of Internal Revenue is a federal law which is the personal income tax as amended in 2011 and that provision means that for those who work and resides in Edo State, whether it is personal income tax or Pay As You Earn (PAYE), are paid to Edo State government and we have the responsibility to ensure that the correct tax is remitted by the employer.
“These are the areas we have had challenges especially with federal ministries, parastatals and agencies. It is sad that those running these agencies in Edo State are behaving as if they are above the laws including special provision made by the Comrade Governor that there should be fairness in the assessment of taxes.”
He said that whatever took place may be partly due to lack of understanding of the position of the law adding that “It is wrong that they are claiming that they are asked to remit taxes based on tenement rate.”
