The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has filed criminal charges against Binance, a renowned cryptocurrency exchange platform.

The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, accuses Binance of violating four separate tax laws.

Below is the list of the tax laws allegedly violated by Binance:

1.Non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT):

The federal government accused Binance of failure to register with FIRS for tax purposes and contravening existing tax regulations within the country.

2.Company Income Tax:

One of the counts in the lawsuit pertains to Binances alleged failure to collect and remit various categories of taxes to the federation as stipulated by Section 40 of the FIRS Establishment Act 2007 as amended.

3.Failure to file tax returns:

Another count is that Binance violated Section 40 of the Act explicitly addressing the non-deduction and non-remittance of taxes, prescribing penalties and potential imprisonment for defaulting entities.

4.Complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform

The FIRS emphasised its commitment to enforcing tax regulations and tackling financial misconduct within the cryptocurrency sector. (The Nation)