We did not impose tax on PEDAN, says Ebonyi Govt.

The Ebonyi Board of Internal Revenue has said the board did not impose any tax on the Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN) operating in the state.

Mr. Agwu Nweze, Chairman of the Board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Wednesday that they only placed a demand notice on them over the money owed to the state government.

“They have refused to pay the N3.5 million owed to the state government." We did not impose a fine on them; we were only following the law of the Federal Government.

“Some members of the association have not been filing the tax they paid since 2015. The filing of tax returns gives authorities the ability to ascertain whether you have underpaid or overpaid the state government.

“So many filling stations have not been filing since 2015, when this administration came on board.

“The filling stations are to pay N3.5 million each to the state government." That is N500, 000 per year for seven years.

“The association has not been fair to the government of Ebonyi. Though some of the operators have started filing, hopefully others will follow suit,” he said.

NAN recalls that PEDAN shut down all its stations in the state on Monday over what it described as excessive taxation and fines by the State Board of Internal Revenue Office (IGR).

NAN observed that filling station operators had on Tuesday resumed work in the state.

In his reaction, the State Chairman of PEDAN, Mr. Silas Njaka, said its members shut down operations on Monday because of the state government’s action on the issue of Pay as You Earn Income Tax.

Njaka explained that some of his members failed to make their filings on the issue of income tax.

“Our members who are involved have been sued in court over the matter, and the case will be heard on May 15,” he added.