The Federal Government, through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has filed tax evasion charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja against cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance.
The second and third defendants in the suit are Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, both senior executives of Binance who were arrested last month by officials from office of the national security adviser (NSA).
The charges levied against Binance include non-payment of value-added tax, company income tax, failure to register with FIRS for tax purposes, failure to file tax returns, and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform.
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The charges further detail specific instances where Binance purportedly violated tax laws, such as failing to issue invoices for VAT purposes, thus obstructing the determination and payment of taxes by subscribers.
In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, FIRS said it was a decisive move aimed at upholding fiscal responsibility and safeguarding the economic integrity of the country.
Binance pleaded guilty to flouting anti-money laundering laws in the United States in late 2023, settling for a plea bargain that cost the company $ 4.3 billion.
