‘They’ve not been filing tax since 2015’ — Ebonyi denies imposing fine on petrol dealers

The Ebonyi board of internal revenue says it did not impose a fine on members of the Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN) operating in the state.

Agwu Nweze, chairman of the board, spoke in Abakaliki on Wednesday.

He said the board only placed a demand notice on them over the money owed to the state government.

“They have refused to pay the N3.5 million owed to the state government. We did not impose fine on them; we were only following the law of the federal government,” NAN quoted Nweze as saying.

“Some members of the association have not been filing the tax they paid since 2015. Filing of tax paid gives authority the breakdown to ascertain whether you have under or over paid the state government.

“So many filling stations have not been filing since 2015 when this administration came on board.

“The filling stations are to pay N3.5 million each to the state government. That is N500,000 per year for seven years.

“The association has not been fair to the government of Ebonyi. Though, some of the operators have started filing and hopefully others will follow suit.”

Also speaking on the matter, Silas Njaka, the state chairman of PEDAN, said its members shutdown operations on Monday because of the state government’s action on the issue of pay as you earn (PAYE) income tax.

Njaka explained that some of his members failed to make their filing on the issue of income tax.

“Our members, who are involved, have been sued over the matter and the case will be heard on May 15,” he added.

PEDAN had on Monday, shutdown its stations in the state over what it described as excessive taxation and fines by the state board of the internal revenue office.

According to NAN, the filling station operators had on Tuesday resumed work in the state.