The Katsina State Internal Revenue Service (KTIRS) has embarked on a warning exercise to recover over N1 billion in debt and liabilities from erring commercial banks and other taxpayers operating in the state.

During the exercise monitored by Channels Television on Friday, officials of the State Internal Revenue Service led by the Executive Chairman visited three commercial banks in the state and an electricity distribution company, posting notices in some strategic places.

The Executive Chairman of the service, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad, noted that the defaulters had a period of two weeks to settle their outstanding liabilities, failure of which he said would result in recovery options without further recourse for the erring tax defaulters.

According to Muhammad, the warning exercise is to alert the general public of the erring companies’ non-tax-compliance and to discourage their customers and clients from transacting business with them.

“We have embarked on this exercise today which is part of our mandate to ensure compliance of all relevant provisions of the law,” he said.

“These agencies and organisations we visited today, we have liabilities with them where the government monies were deducted and have not been remitted to the government.

“We have been on this thing for quite some time. We have met with them, we sat with them and reconciled on the issues, they agreed but they have refused to come up with their payments.”

Muhammad explained that, based on the provisions of the law, the service took the next step of warning members of the public that the organisations in question were non-tax-compliant and should refrain from transacting business with them.

“We are giving them a period of two weeks within which to come forward and settle their outstanding liabilities, failure of which will result in recovery options without further recourse for these organisations.

“Most of the banks and other taxpayers in Katsina State have liabilities. So, the state government is serious about the issue of revenue generation.

“We are going to spare no agency that refuses to comply with the necessary provisions and relevant provisions of the law. This is just a warning to these agencies, we will still come back and enforce the law fully for recovery if, within the time given, they don’t respond,” he said.

The notice reads: “Take notice that the owner(s)/ operators(s) of this company/business premises have failed to comply with the company’s/business tax obligations.” (Channels TV)

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