By Ademola Orunbon
Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) will soon begin a Tax Audit of Consumption Tax exercise dating back to six years across the State.
The Executive Chairman OGIRS, Mr. Olugbenga Olaleye disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders on Hotel Occupancy and Consumption Tax at Obas’ Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Olaleye, in a statement signed by the Agency’s Press Officer, Mrs. Abolanle Ogunlami, said the audit was necessary to clear the backlogs of Tax liabilities at ensuring that businesses in the hospitality industry such as Hotels, Bars, Guest Houses, and Event Centers comply with the law as stipulated in the Consumption Tax Law.
According to him, Consumption Tax was a five percent charge on drinks, foods, and accommodation borne by consumers, which must be remitted into the State government coffers on or before the 20th of the succeeding month.
Taking the stakeholders through the digital payment platform of consumption Tax, one of the agency’s staff, Miss Olasunbo Akinboro noted that the platform was designed to ensure payers’ comfort in the world, electronic safe keeping of records without disrupting their working hours.
Akinboro said, “As the world is going digital, ease of transacting businesses in the Hotel Occupancy and Consumption Tax is not negotiable”.
In his remark, the Ogun State Chairman of Hoteliers’ Association, Ven. Micheal Ogunbowale lauded the initiative put in place by OGIRS to digitise payment processes of consumption Tax and pledged the readiness of members to support the government that would guarantee ease of discharging their civic responsibilities.