Four firms sealed by FIRS over N630m tax debt

In Lagos and Port Harcourt, River State four firms were sealed yesterday by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over their failure to meet their tax obligations totalling N630 million.

The affected firms include Charcoal and Spices Restaurant Limited, GRA, Port Harcourt and Cioscon Nigerian Limited at 14 Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

The leader of the FIRS enforcement team, Mrs. Anita Erinne, sealed both companies after showing a warrant of distraint to officials of the company.

Charcoal and Spices Restaurant Limited owes N12,388,979.50 tax debt and Cioscon Nigerian Ltd has a tax liability amounting to N479,203,464.43 from 2014 to 2016, which the firm has failed to remit.

In Lagos, the enforcement team of the FIRS sealed Joza Global Service situated at 18, Ribadu Road, Ikoyi, Lagos over a tax debt of over N30.6 million. The FIRS team also sealed-off Spog Petrochemicals Limited situated at 50d, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos over a tax debt of N105.5 million.

Mrs. Erinne told the defaulting firms that the companies’ premises will be unsealed when they clear their outstanding tax bills.

She warned the workers not to unseal or tamper with the FIRS seal until the debts are cleared.

According to her, any attempt to remove the seals will be a contravention of the law.

Mrs. Erinne, however, noted that the firms have been officially notified of their indebtedness to FIRS, stating that all the companies’ taxes should be paid before their premises could be unsealed.