Encomium
Are you a tax dodger? Do you live and work in Lagos State? Then listen and listen carefully. Your days are numbered. The state government is up in arm against and is ready to prosecute you in court. As a matter of fact, 28 people of your ilk are already having their days in court.
The Lagos State Rapid Tax Prosecution Unit of the state Ministry of Justice has since April 11, 2016, filed all the necessary information at the State High Court for their arraignment and persecution has begun in earnest.
We can authoritively tell you that anyone of them found guilty is liable to at least one year imprisonment and at most 10 years imprisonment depending on the tax offence committed.
For instance, according to section 56 of Lagos State Revenue Administration Law of 2006, any person who fails to pay in full any tax, levy, rate charge or other revenue due to the state or a local government authority commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of 1 percent of the total amount of revenue which was due and payable for each day of default and (b) imprisonment for 12 months.
If you an employer who deduct from his or her workers but fail to remit such tax to the state government is liable to pay the tax withheld or not remitted in addition to a penalty of 10 percent of the tax withheld or not remitted per annum and interest at the prevailing commercial rate.
Any person who obstructs tax officials in anyway whatsoever commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N200,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.
If you make any false declaration to officials of Lagos State Internal Revenue (LIRS), you are liable on conviction to a fine of N200,000 and 100 percent of the amount of tax unpaid or to imprisonment of three years or both.
Falsification or use of any counterfeit documents submitted to the tax officials will attract a fine of N500,000 or to imprisonment for a term of three years or both.
The above punishment is also applicable to officials of Lagos State Internal Revenue (LIRS) who connive with private individuals or corporate bodies to falsify or use counterfeit documents. For tax officers who tries to defraud the state either by withholding money collected for his own use or renders false returns shall be liable on conviction to a fine equivalent to 200 percent of the sum in question or to imprisonment for a term of three years or both.
Any person who injures tax officials with any dangerous weapon in the course of performing his official duty is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of 10 years,
Impersonating tax or revenue collectors either for the state or the local government council will attract a fine of N250,000 or imprisonment for three years or both.
Any amount collected by him shall be forfeited to the state government or the relevant local government authority.
