By Dipo Olowookere
About 18 hotels, restaurant and event centres in Lagos have been sealed by officials of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).
The affected businesses were shut down for failure to pay their taxes due under the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Laws of Lagos State 2009.
A statement issued by the state government disclosed that the hotels and restaurants owe a total sum of N427 million.
Speaking during the state-wide tax enforcement exercise last Friday, the Director, Legal Services of the LIRS, Mr Seyi Alade, warned that defaulting hotels, restaurants and event centres will henceforth face the full wrath of the law if they fail to deduct and remit their taxes to the appropriate authorities.
According to him, failure to deduct and remit taxes as at when due attracts very serious penalties that may lead to the sealing, seizure of the goods and chattels and criminal prosecution of principal officers of recalcitrant entities.
He said the LIRS usually gives a long rope by issuing multiple notices to the taxpayers to inform and also remind them of their tax liabilities adding that only recalcitrant taxpayers are shut down as in the present case.
He therefore urged all business entities operating in the state to ensure prompt remittance of their taxes to avoid costly disruptions on their businesses as a result of a distain exercise.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka