MultiChoice Africa Holdings, the parent company of MultiChoice Nigeria, has rejected the ruling of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, which dismissed its appeal against the $342m Value Added Tax bill imposed on it by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
In a statement on Wednesday, the company said it would lodge an appeal against the ruling at the Federal High Court. It added that the tribunal ruling was based on technicality rather than the merit of the case.
The company said, “MAH respectfully disagrees with the ruling, which was based on a technicality rather than the merits of the case. Therefore, we will be lodging an appeal at the Federal High Court against the ruling.
“This tax appeal is a separate and distinct matter from the appeal launched by MultiChoice Nigeria in which the TAT found in MCN’s favour last week, allowing it to proceed with that appeal.”
The FIRS had in August claimed that the tribunal had ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited to pay 50 per cent of the N1.8tn which it had determined to be the amount the company had evaded in tax payments.
MultiChoice Nigeria had faulted the FIRS, claiming that TAT did not compel it to pay 50 per cent of the N1.8tn disputed tax assessment.
Last week, TAT had ruled that Multichoice Nigeria Limited, had met the conditions to appeal against the N900bn levied on it by FIRS.
– Punch