The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has urged taxpayers in Rivers State and the country at large to continue to pay tax to the agency.
This is despite the ruling of a Federal High Court that state governments and not the commission have the rights to collect tax.
The Rivers State Government had dragged the FIRS, to court over who has the constitutional duty for the collection of VAT and Personal income tax.
Spokesperson of the FIRS, Abdullahi Ahmad in a statement on Sunday, said taxpayers must continue to do so to avoid penalties.
He said the commission, had lodged an appeal against the ruling and also filed an appeal for stay of execution before the state government signed the bill into law.
“We wish to inform the general public that, before the above-mentioned steps taken by the Government of Rivers State, FIRS had lodged an appeal against the above judgment and had also filed an application for stay of execution of the judgment as well asking the Court for an injunction,” he said.
“Given that the Court of Appeal is yet to rule on the Appeal…, members of the public are advised to continue to comply with their Value Added Tax obligations until the matter is resolved by the appellate courts,” he added.
