Delta BIR recovers N20m personal income tax, penalties from eight firms

Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) has recovered N20 million from backlog of personal income taxes (PIT) and penalties from eight companies within Warri and Efurun axis of the state.

According to Monday Onyeme, executive chairman of DBIR, the board undertook an enforcement exercise on some tax defaulting companies in Effurun and Warri. Christopher Edhughoro, chief inspector of taxes in the department of enforcement and compliance led the tax revenue drive.

“Our enforcement unit accompanied by a team of policemen, court bailiffs and members of staff of the revenue board went to enforce the judgments of Effurun and Warri Revenue Courts, and were able to recover over N20 million being backlog of PIT and penalties awarded to the DBIR by the courts,” he said.

The DBIR chairman said the recovery was the outcome of failure by the defaulters to file in their annual income taxes between 2010 and 2015, contrary to section 81(1) of the Personal Income Tax Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 81(3) of the Personal Income Tax Act 2011 (as amended).

The affected companies include: Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc, Effurun, with a judgment sum of over N16.5 million; Yemotech Nigeria Limited, Ben Mike Construction Company Limited, and Saabhuxton Nigeria Limited.

Others are: Prime Source Limited; Lutoyo International Limited, Jaform Nigeria Limited and Monina Enterprises, all situated within the jurisdiction of the Warri Revenue Court. The court awarded N600,000 against each of the companies; while Monina Enterprises had tax liability of N100,000.

The DBIR boss restated the resolve of the state government to continue to enforce relevant tax laws against defaulters, to increase compliance and thereby shore up the state’s internally generated revenue profile.

He urged those who were yet to meet their personal income tax obligations to do so without delay, to avoid the embarrassment of having their business premises sealed-up by the DBIR. He also urged members of the public to ensure that their taxes were promptly paid; stressing that the tax enforcement exercise was a continuous process.