FCT-IRS Seals Hotel, School, Businesses for Failing to File Tax Returns

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has sealed a hotel, school and three business concerns for tax evasion.

The affected concerns are Regency Hotels, Gratias International School, Rural and Urban Homes Limited, Trevari International Company, and Phenomenon International Company.

The FCT-IRS acting Director, Legal Services, Mr. Festus Tsavsar, said the enforcement team closed the affected premises following a court order obtained by the service.

He said: “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 were 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.”

 Tsavsar berated the school’s management for tax evasion in contravention of the tax law, saying the action amounted to a criminal offence.

He added that to evade tax remittance, the management also changed the name of the school to DGIS College.

“The school has not been paying their taxes at all, and also refused to file their annual returns since establishment,” he said.

Tsavsar 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.

He vowed that FCT-IRS would go after all tax defaulting companies and individuals and advised taxpayers to pay their taxes and file their annual returns in compliance with existing tax laws.