Gombe IRS seals Access Bank over alleged N118 million tax default

The Gombe State Internal Revenue Service Board has sealed two branches of Access Bank in the state capital over alleged N118 million unpaid taxes between 2008 – 2019.

Speaking to journalists on Monday in Gombe, the Chairman of the Board, Abubakar Tata, said the board issued a demand notice but the bank failed to respond, hence the action after the expiration of 30 days notice.

Mr Tata said the bank instead of complying, to pay the debt, took the Board to the Tax Affairs Tribunal in Bauchi in March 2020, but the case was dismissed.

“The service has demand notice to Access bank, formerly Diamond bank they were expected to object if they are not comfortable with the demand notice and the amount but they did not object and they didn’t reply. By law, if you do not object after 30 days whatever served you becomes binding, final and conclusive.

“Instead of replying they took us to court, we followed up with our legal unit until we got a ruling that their case has been dismissed and they are to come and pay the liability and it about 118 million naira. We have a consultant who carried out a tax audit from 2008 to 2019. The N118m is a cumulative total.”

While urging the bank to comply with the notice, Mr Tata stated that the service would not succumb to further delay.

“Not only them; my call on all tax-paying entities and organisations is to comply with rules set out by Gombe State revenue Codification and Consolidation law and there are processes when it comes to issues of demand notice and notice of assessment because there is a lot at stake. If I see alert today, I will come and remove the seal,” Tata added.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on the development, a customer of the bank, Abubakar Danmusa, appealed to the bank to resolve the issue with the board.

Mr Musa said: “Every month I get over a N1,000 debit from them while they don’t remit their tax to the government. But I don’t have another bank, they should go and resolve this with the government.”

Also, Gambo Dauda, another customer, said he was affected by the sealing off of the bank’s building.

Mr Dauda, who was among customers whose transactions were stalled, urged the bank to meet its responsibility.