• The fines are to be paid on or before 30th March 2023 failure to which warrants of distress will be issued to the convicted companies.
• Taxes to be recovered from Santorini amount to K20 million while those from Pingan amount to K14 million.
• The Authority will prosecute any taxpayer submitting false returns and evading taxes.
Economic and Financial Crimes Court in Kitwe has convicted and fined Pingan Auto Services, K89 million for 22 counts of false returns and statements as well as evasion of tax.
Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Acting Corporate and Communications Manager Oliver Nzala revealed that in the same court, Santorini Investments Limited was fined K124 million in a different case for fraudulently claiming Input Value Added Tax (VAT) from various Copperbelt based companies.
Mr. Nzala said the fines are to be paid on or before 30th March 2023 failure to which warrants of distress will be issued to the convicted companies, adding that the offense is contrary to Section 43 and 44 of the Value Added Tax Act, Chapter 331 of the Laws of Zambia.
“Facts of the cases are that the two companies in purported compliance with the Law provided to the Zambia Revenue Authority, information namely tax invoice numbers purporting to have been supplied with taxable goods by various Copperbelt based companies when not, thereby evading paying of Value Added Tax to the Government of the Republic of Zambia,” Mr. Nzala said.
He stated that taxes to be recovered from Santorini amount to K20 million while those from Pingan amount to K14 million.
Mr. Nzala warned that the Authority will prosecute any taxpayer submitting false returns and evading taxes.