Kaduna to seal almost all banks in the state for failure to pay stipulated fees

The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KDIRS) has threatened to seal all banks operating in the state which failed to pay its communication mast and signage fees as required by law.

Legal Adviser to KDIRS Francis Kozah told NAN in Kaduna on Thursday that the defaulting banks were given two weeks to pay or be sealed.

Kozah explained that the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law 2016 provided that all bank branches operating in the state with communication mast and synergy were to pay certain fees.

He, however, said that with the exception of UBA, most of the banks have failed to pay, particularly for 2016 and 2017.

“We have served them demand notices, Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency equally served them, asking them to come and settle their liabilities but they have failed to do so,”  he said.

“At the moment, we have finished preparing our documents and we will take them to court in the next two weeks. We will seek for an order of the court to seal off all defaulting banks in the state.”

Kozah advised the banks, to in their own interest, settle the liabilities to avoid embarrassment.

He also said that 32 other people would soon be charged to court for tax evasion.

He advised taxpayers to pay their taxes, stressing that the board would prosecute any company or individual that failed to do so.

NAN recalls that KADIRS had on Tuesday dragged 23 people to a Kaduna Magistrates’ Court for alleged failure to pay their Personal Income Tax from 2013 to 2015.