LRA closes 14 private properties

The Liberia Revenue Authority or LRA has shut down several private properties for failure to pay legitimate taxes owe the Government of Liberia.

According to a LRA’s press release, the exercise is a vigorous campaign to collect real property taxes from delinquent commercial property owners in Monrovia and its environs. Properties affected include the building housing the Richard Henries Law Firm on Benson Street and the Samuel D. Herring/Johnson Dayoy building located down Waterside.

The release said the Provident Hotel on 9th Street in Sinkor, Rosina Grimes’ property on the Corner of Gurley and Front Streets and the Benoni Urey Property on 10th Street, among others, made immediate payments and installment arrangements to settle their real estate tax obligations, respectively.

The exercise continued last Saturday, August 8 with the closure of several properties, compelling additional owners to make payments and installment arrangements to settle their real estate tax obligations.

The said Saturday’s exercise affected the Mohammed Abdullah Property on 18th Street, Sinkor; the Borla Investment Property on 24th Street owned by Mr. Hilary A. Dennis and the Martha N. Kashouh Property, located at the GSA Road Junction.

LRA Chief Legal Counsel, Max T. Duncan said all legal processes due were afforded each taxpayer and the legal procedures called for under the statute were exhausted, leading to the enforcement of the closure orders.

Businesses shut down can be closed for seven days during which time they may settle their bills inclusive of interests and penalties pursuant to the Liberia Revenue Code. He said during the period of the closure, the LRA will do a tax audit, tax education and will work along with the delinquent tax payers to meet their obligations under the law.

The LRA chief counsel maintained that no amount of insults and threats from delinquent taxpayers will deter the entity in executing its mandate, stressing that the enforcement exercise will continue throughout Monrovia and its environs until the real property taxes due the Government of Liberia are collected.

The Real Estate Tax Division in collaboration with the Legal Department of the LRA kicked off the enforcement exercise on Friday, August 7, forcing several big businesses to comply, while shutting down others. The LRA said it obtained closure orders from the Tax Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia to shut the doors of 14 premises after all legal efforts to have them pay their taxes failed. Press Release