The Enugu State Judiciary has directed all lawyers to start attaching evidence of tax payment to court processes filed across the State.
In a circular issued by the Chief Registrar on February 7th, lawyers were asked to comply with a request from the Enugu Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) requiring submission of tax clearance certificates (TCC) alongside lawsuits and other court fillings.
The decision follows a February 1 letter by the EIRS Chairman seeking introduction of mandatory TCC to boost tax compliance and revenue. All court documents may be rejected without the tax payment evidence.
The Chief Judge, Justice A.R Ozoemena approved the policy and instructed the NBA Enugu branches to circulate the information to members for immediate implementation.
When contacted, some lawyers argued that tax clearance already exists for stamp duties and the new policy could duplication. But EIRS claimed it is only requesting annual personal income tax compliance.
The NBA branches promised to engage with judiciary officials on proper guidance for lawyers to avoid limiting access to courts over tax issues. A stakeholders meeting may be held to agree on reasonable application of the new TCC rule.
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