Africa’s leading entertainment giant, Multichoice has denied speculations making the rounds that it has been ordered by a Nigerian appeal tribunal to pay 50% of an N1.8-trillion ($4.4-billion) disputed tax backlog imposed on it by Nigeria’s federal tax agency, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
According to the reports, MultiChoice had to pay $2.2-billion as a deposit and the condition of the satellite pay-TV company’s case being heard by authorities, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said in an email statement over the week.
However, MultiChoice Nigeria replied in a statement that the direction issued by the tribunal does not legally compel the company to pay 50% of N1.8-trillion, being half of the disputed tax assessment which is under appeal.
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“The direction issued by the TAT in accordance with paragraph 15(7) of the Fifth Schedule to the FIRS Establishment Act requires Multichoice Nigeria to deposit with FIRS an amount equal to the tax paid by Multichoice Nigeria in the preceding year of assessment or one half of the disputed tax assessment under appeal, whichever is the lesser amount plus 10%,” FIRS says in the statement.
“The lesser amount is the tax paid by Multichoice Nigeria in the previous assessed year which is substantially less than the disputed assessment.”
MultiChoice says that it continues to engage with FIRS in an attempt to resolve the issue.
It could be recalled that FIRS instructed banks in the country to freeze the accounts of MultiChoice’s subsidiary in Nigeria for allegedly breaching agreements and denying access to their records for auditing.
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“It was discovered that the companies persistently breached all agreements and undertakings with the Service, they would not promptly respond to correspondences, they lacked data integrity and are not transparent as they continually deny FIRS access to their records,” FIRS said at the time.
MultiChoice responded that despite the crackdown by FIRS, its operations in Nigeria were continuing as normal.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry