State govt seals hotels, restaurant over tax default

,,,,The Ondo State Internal Revenue Service has sealed off two hotels and one restaurant in some communities in the state for their alleged failure to pay their Land Use Charge.

The affected businesses are located at Ore in the Odigbo Local Government and Okitipupa Local Government areas of the state.

It was gathered that the agency took the action towards enforcing the judgment of a high court.

One of the sanctioned hotels was said to owe N3,492,849 in unpaid LUC while the other was in default of a sum of N1,597,372 and the restaurant owed the government a sum of N120,000.

,,,,,Speaking on the development, a Senior Revenue Manager of the ODIRS, Gregory Afuwape, said the owner of the hotel had been accessed between 2013 and 2016 but he didn’t show up for payment despite being served statutory notices.

Afuwape said the firms could approach the tax office to do the needful, warning that the seal on their premises must not be removed.

“The law allows settlement after judgment. Even after enforcement, the taxpayer can approach the tax authorities for settlement

,,,,,“It would be unlawful for anyone to break the padlock or the seal on the premises as it is called obstruction in law, which will be contempt of court and would attract more than 21 years imprisonment,” he said.