ZWEDRU, December 11 (LINA) -The Revenue Tax Court of Grand Gedeh County has fined three proprietors of hotels in Zwedru for failing to appear in court on schedule to answer charges of tax evasion levied against them by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning local office in the county.
The proprietors of Munah Hotel, Palm Hotel and B&P Hotel were each fined US$100 by the court for refusing to appear to answer to charges levied against them by revenue agents from the Ministry of Finance, classifying them as delinquent tax payers.
According to the charge sheet read in court, the three Hotels allegedly owe the government approximately US$14, 200.
Of this amount, Munah Hotel allegedly owes US$7, 500, B&P Hotel US$5, 200, while Palm Hotel is indebted in the tune of US$1,500.
In an interview with the Liberia News Agency in Zwedru on Wednesday, Zwedru Tax Court Judge Walter T.Y. Dunner Sr., disclosed that Munah Hotel has already paid the US$100 fine and called on the other two to do the same within 48 hours or face drastic action from the court.
He pointed out that the court will not conduct hearing into the case next week Tuesday until it receives revenue receipts from the two hotel owners.
It can be recalled that two weeks ago, the Revenue Court in Zwedru issued a stern warning to tax collectors against compromising
government’s interest in the collection of needed taxes.
Judge Dunner frowned on what he described as “complacency” on the part of Collectorates in the collection of needed revenue for development and other purposes, and described this act on the part of revenue agents as a disservice to the country.
He urged them to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their duties, using the tax court as a backing where necessary for enforcement of compliance, adding “This is the reason for which this court was established by government.”
In a related development, Grand Gedeh County Deputy Revenue Agent Philip Jah Gowah, has told LINA that other delinquent tax payers who are on the list are expected to face similar action shortly, and called on authorities of the Ministry of Finance to put in place the “New Sharing Scheme” to ensure that taxes are paid in the counties to boost local revenue collection.
LINA