Land Use Charge: ODIRS Enforces Court’s Order on 10 Business Outlets in Ondo State
- Some business outlets have been sealed by the Ondo state internal revenue service in Akure, the state capital
- In doing this, the state internal revenue service is enforcing judgements by the court against tax defaulters
- According to officials of the state, some of the business outlets are owing taxes since 2017, running into millions
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The Ondo state Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) has sealed off 10 business outlets within Akure and Idanre for defaulting in payment of land use charges.
The business outlets includes shopping complex, filling stations, shops along high court road, Ijomu street, Araromi, St. Luke, Isikan, in Akure, a clinic at Utaja road and a sawmill at Ala road in Idanre where the officials met their absence, among other places.
Source: UGC
Barrister Gregory Oyetan Afuwape, the Assistant Director and State counsel to Ondo State Internal Revenue service (ODIRS) noted that the enforcement was carried out based on the court’s judgment granted to ODIRS for non payment of land use charge.
“we have taken the estate of these places to court and we receive the judgment. We served the judgment and up till today, they didn’t come around even to pay the land use charge.
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“The landlords are aware because every statutory notices were served on them,x he said
Afuwape noted that Odopetu M. A Falade shopping Arcade along high court road in particular has been owing the land use charge since 2017.
He advised those people that their business premises had been locked to visit the ODIRS to pay their liabilities, else, it will remain sealed according to the court judgment.
“And also, the occupants should not try to break the seal because there are task force officials from both the governor’s office and the ODIRS moving around and anyone found around the premises will be arrested and charged to court for contempt of the court.”
Mrs Comfort Omiye, a tenant of one of the business outlets who expressed her unhappiness, stated that the tenants are not the ones owing because all the charges coming from internal revenue and local government are being paid by them.
“Our landlords are the ones that are not playing their part as a responsible citizen and this led to the closure of our shops. Please, help us to beg them because they will start disturbing us to pay rents like two months before the renewal of the rent. This will really affect our businesses, we’re being stopped from working now and we are not owing.”
33 business premises sealed in Ondo state over non-payment of tax, land use charge
Recall that the Ondo state internal revenue service has continued to make efforts in making the state tax compliant as it embarked on an enforcement exercise on Wednesday, August 3.
The enforcement followed a judgement by Magistrate O.A Edwin which ordered the sealing of business premises of those who defaulted in paying their personal income Tax and land use charge despite repeated entreaties to do so.
As a result of this, the state internal revenue service consequently sealed over 33 business premises across the state. The businesses include, Filing stations, Gas stations, Shopping complexes and Hotels.
Source: Legit.ng
