Tax evaders shut down
The Liberia Revenue Authority or LRA may be leaving no stones unturned as it relates to collecting legitimate government revenues as required by law.
For the past two weeks, the LRA – through the tax court, temporarily sealed the doors of several real properties and businesses for taxes they failed to pay over the years – some spanning as far back as five years.
Entities recently affected by the exercise are indebted to the government to the tone of between US$5,000 and US$5.5m. They include the Australian Exploration Drilling Company (US$5.5m), EXSECON security firm ( US$183,489), the Liberia Mining Group (US$53,593), Caesar Architects (US$27,400), Mario Services/Trust International (US$1,171), Herbert Wilson Property on Gurley Street (US$10,000), as well as Joseph Wilson Property on Gurley Street (US$6,637) and the Emmanuel S.K. Nimely property (US$7,171).
The essence of the exercise – the last resort in a series of engagements with property/business owners, is intended to compel individuals and businesses to comply with the law by paying their taxes. The LRA has also urged real estate property owners to pay their real estate taxes or be compelled to do so.
Meanwhile, several businesses have since been reopened and functioning after they immediately or days later began complying with payments in line with the Revenue Code of Liberia. Prior to closure orders from the court, the LRA assessed each of the properties/businesses and served them tax liabilities for payment into government coffers at the Central Bank of Liberia.
The LRA also served each of the entities a 24-hour and 72-hour warning notices, as well as a Temporary Closure Notices, detailing their tax liabilities.
