FIRS Shuts Companies Over N368m Tax Debt

Business activities were, on Thursday, grounded in some companies in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja, as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) enforcement teams closed their premises over tax debts totaling N368.11 million. In Yaba, Lagos, the office of Courteville Business Solutions Plc, was shut over a tax debt of over N313 million. A company official told the FIRS team that he was aware of the company’s debt, but not sure of the exact amount. He explained that the company’s Group Managing Director was not available to clear up the matter, an explanation ignored by the enforcement team which ordered staff to vacate the office building for it to be sealed. In Enugu, the office Afri-Hub, an Information Communication Technology firm, situated at the Institute of Management and Technology, was similarly shut. The company owes N2.54million. The agency's enforcement team led by Ruth Mandeun said the exercise was not a witch-hunt, but to recover tax debts. In Abuja, two engineering firms were shut-down at Apo by the FIRS. HeriProm Engineering limited was sealed for owing N32.3million. Equally sealed was the office of De-Tither International Limited, which has a tax liability of N20.2million, made up of income tax, withholding tax and education tax from 2008 to 2013.