TheCable

Christopher Maikalangu, chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has called on President Bola Tinubu, security agencies, and relevant authorities, to call the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) to order with regard to revenue collection.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Maikalangu, said the council has not signed any agreement with FCT-IRS concerning revenue collection.

He was represented by Emmanuel Inyang, AMAC supervisory councillor for special duties.

The AMAC chairman said the agency is harassing residents by asking them to pay the same taxes they had already paid to AMAC, thereby opening ways to double taxation.

He said a court had already ruled that AMAC should not pass over the role of revenue collection to a third party, hence the FCT-IRS needs to explain where it derived its powers for collecting revenue on behalf of AMAC from.

Maikalangu said the bFCT-IRS was preparing a way for anarchy and a breakdown of law and order by harassing AMAC residents for revenue, including the “Park and Pay” policy which is under the jurisdiction of AMAC.

“The recent moves by FCT-IRS to collect revenue from taxpayers in AMAC is an affront capable of creating anarchy,” Maikalangu said.

“Imagine the FCT-IRS going to an organisation to demand N3.5 million tax, some of whom had already paid tax to AMAC. So, it is worrisome that our taxpayers are being asked to pay again.

“Security agencies should intervene and call FCT-IRS to order to avoid miscreants taking advantage to extort unsuspecting members of the public. We also don’t want a situation of FCT-IRS clashing with AMAC task force in the field.

“We will not take laws into our hands. We will continue being law-abiding. However, it amounts to double taxation for AMAC residents and business owners to be asked to pay to FCT-IRS what they had already paid to AMAC.”

Maikalangu also advised FCT residents not to pay revenue to agents purporting to be FCT-IRS, otherwise, they would pay double as only revenue paid into AMAC account will be acceptable.

“Therefore, I want to appeal to our taxpayers to ignore the FCT-IRS. Whenever they bring any demand notice to you as a taxpayer, challenge them. Tell them you won’t pay and for them to go to court to obtain a judegment or explain if there is any judgement that gives them powers to be collecting revenue for AMAC,” he said.

“If you pay any revenue to FCT-IRS, you are just doing goodwill because you did not pay to AMAC. AMAC is the right organisation to pay revenue to. If you pay to FCT-IRS, you will pay double when AMAC officials come calling. So, do the right thing by paying to AMAC. Please, don’t fall victim to the antics of FCT-IRS.”