The North West Zone of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, sitting in Kaduna, is hearing cases filed by the Kaduna and Kano State governments through their Boards of Internal Revenue over failure of some federal agencies to remit taxes to them.
The Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, dragged the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria, before the Tribunal, with respect to unremitted PAYE (Pay as you earn) and withholding taxes, totalling N6.2 million, which were all taxes due to the Kaduna state government, but were unremitted, between the years 2007 and 2012.
The tribunal, which has just been newly reconstituted, with Umaru M. Adamu as Chairman, Abubakar Gwandu Sameerah, Bayero A.S Mohammed, Dr Ahmed Kumshe, Isa Kabir Dandago, as Commissioners, also attended to tax issues against Kaduna Polytechnic brought before it for unremitted personal income taxes and withholding taxes, for the period 2007 and 2012, totalling N3.4 billion.
On the other hand, the Kano state Board of Inland Revenue on Thursday, November 29, brought before the tribunal appeals to determine whether they were entitled to recover from the National Orthopaedic and another the sum of N18.7 million being also withholding and PAYE Taxes, due for the 2011 and 2012 year of assessment.
Bayero University Kano, alongside the Hon Minister of Education and the Hon Minister of Finance were also brought before the tribunal with respect to withholding taxes and PAYE taxes, for the 2004, to 2009 year of assessment, in the sum of N1.8 billion.
Also brought before the tribunal via various appeal for determination, was the National Independent Electoral commission (INEC), in the sum of N200 million, the Standards Organization of Nigeria in the sum of N17.3 million, the National Examination Council (NECO) in the sum of N17.7 million. The Federal College of Education Bichi, in the sum of N250.5 million, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the sum of N31.1 million, the Joint Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the sum of N5.5 million.
Also brought before the Tribunal was the Hadejia Jamare River Basin Authority in the sum of N129.4 million and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which was also brought before the tribunal for non-remittance of the sum of N21.1 million being unremitted PAYE and withholding taxes.
Finally brought before the tribunal was the Federal College of Agriculture by the Kano State Board of Internal Revenue, for non-remittance of the sum of N6.9 million being unremitted PAYE and withholding taxes due for the year of assessment 2009 to 2013.
Chairman of the North West Zone, Barrister Umaru M. Adamu, while addressing critical stakeholders during the course of the tribunal sessions, urged all tax payers, members of professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chartered Institute of Taxation, ICAN and ANAN, to avail themselves of the services of the Tribunal, as the purpose is to give succour to tax payers and engender confidence in the tax process.
He also called on all relevant State Boards of Internal Revenue, in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Jigawa, to emulate the Kano State Board of Internal Revenue that had brought before the Tax Appeal Tribunal, defaulting tax payers, owing the State, in excess of three billion naira.
He assured all the stakeholders of a speedy disposal of their appeals, as the Tax Appeal Tribunal, was the only body currently in Nigeria, operating a fully automated court and a case flow mechanism that nearly guarantees the disposal of all disputes, within 90 days.
