The Lagos State Internal
Revenue Service (LIRS) on Tuesday sealed a hospital and maternity home in Lagos for alleged failure to remit about N2.5 million income taxes of workers
Our correspondent said the tax enforcement sealed the hospital located at Oke-Ira in Ogba area of Lagos State.
The Head of Enforcement Unit of LIRS, Mrs Folashade Coker-Afolayan, said that the hospital management failed to remit income tax deducted from salaries of its workers between 2009 and 2010.
“The hospital will not be reopened for business until the tax liability is remitted,” Coker-Afolayan said.
She said that the government had earlier written to the hospital on the need to remit workers’ tax to the authorities.
According to her, LIRS has no alternative than to seal the hospital when the management failed to respond to its request.
She reiterated that payment of taxes was a civic responsibility of everyone, explaining that government needed the tax proceeds to provide infrastructure for economic growth and improved standard of living of citizens.
She warned the hospital management not to tamper with the seal on the premises, saying that only LIRS officials had the authority to unseal the place.
Coker-Afolayan also stated that it was a criminal for people to assault government’s officials on legitimate duties.
The Medical Director of the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, denied knowledge of the letters from LIRS on tax remittance and condemned the manner of enforcement of tax laws in the state.