KEY POINTS

• Kano State seals Max Air’s head office over N190 million($0.11 million) unpaid taxes.
• KIRS targets non-compliant businesses, shutting Dantata and Sawoe, Northern Rice, and others.
• Kano has intensified its tax compliance drive to boost internally generated revenue.

Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) has taken a bold move to shut down the head office of Max Air Line.

Max Air Lines, owned by businessman Dahiru Barau Mangal has been sealed for an alleged tax debt exceeding N190 million($0.11 million).

Max Air’s tax debt leads to closure

The debt, which has accumulated between 2012 and 2017 comprises Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and other tax obligations.

Madam Ibrahim Abdullahi, KIRS Director of Debt Management and Enforcement, said the decision followed unsuccessful attempts to engage Max Air in negotiations.

“We issued several correspondences to Max Air to settle their tax liabilities, but they failed to respond,” Abdullahi said. “As a last resort, we obtained a court order to seal their headquarters in accordance with the law.”

Broader tax recovery effort

The effort is part of a broader campaign to ensure tax compliance and enhance internally generated revenue in Kano State.

Aside from Max Air, other affected businesses include Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, sealed over N241 million($0.143 million)  in unpaid PAYE and withholding tax liabilities. Northern Rice and Oil Milling Nigeria Ltd. was closed for similar offenses.

“Our enforcement team discovered significant discrepancies in the payment of taxes by these companies,” Abdullahi said. “These measures are necessary to compel compliance after numerous efforts to address the issues amicably.”

Aiming for economic sustainability

Abdullahi emphasized that the crackdown is not targeted at specific entities but aligns with the government’s broader strategy to reduce reliance on federal allocations.

“This action ensures that all businesses operating in Kano meet their tax obligations as required by law,” she said.

The enforcement demonstrates Kano State’s commitment to improving financial independence through strengthened tax collection measures.