The Rivers state government has dragged the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to Supreme Court over collection of Value Added Tax (VAT).
The state is praying the court to set aside an order of the Court of Appeal which had directed it to maintain status quo on the collection of VAT pending the determination of an appeal filed by the FIRS.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that
a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had last month issued an order restraining the FIRS from collecting VAT and personal income tax (PIT) in Rivers state, an order that was appealed by FIRS at the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court while delivering a ruling on Friday, ordered parties in the suit to maintain the “status quo ante bellum” and ”refrain from taking any action to give effect to the judgement of the Rivers state high court,” which had earlier given Rivers state government the right to collect VAT revenue, instead of the FIRS.
However, in its 10 grounds of appeal lodged before the Supreme Court, Rivers state is also praying the apex court to order that the substantive appeal by the FIRS, marked CA/PH/282/2021, and all other processes therein, be heard and determined by a new panel of the Court of Appeal.