As the deadline for the remittance of the Value Added Tax (VAT) for August expires today, the Federal Government has told companies to pay to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
This, it said, would accord with the order by the Court of Appeal on September 10 for a status quo antebellum.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) clarified that the status quo referred to the state of affairs before parties went to court.
Besides, he emphasised that FIRS remained the statutory VAT collecting authority, not states.
The AGF’s spokesman, Dr Umar Gwandu, said: “As far as the Federal Government is concerned, the status quo ordered to be maintained by the court is a position prior to the submission to the jurisdiction of the court which in effect means the FIRS remains the recognised revenue collector of the VAT in the country.”
The tax-collecting agency also urged companies not to panic or be confused and remit “their returns to the FIRS”.
The Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has directed its members to make their VAT remittances for August to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). NECA is a trade union of employers in the private sector.
The association, in a statement by its Director-General, Timothy Olawale, said: “All VAT collected for August 2021 should be remitted to the FIRS based on the Order of the Court of Appeal.”
However, The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said businesses were still confused as to who was in charge of VAT. Director-General of LCC1, Dr Chinyere Almona, in a statement, said the situation was not healthy for the business community and planning.