Kuala Lumpur: The High Court has ordered prominent lawyer Shafee Abdullah to pay more than RM5.5 million in tax arrears for the five years between 2011 and 2016.
Senior revenue counsel Norhisham Ahmad, appearing for the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), informed judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain that the final amount was RM5,529,577.70.
Last week, summary judgment was entered against Shafee for the tax arrears but the amount was not finalised.
In granting the summary judgment bid, Roz Mawar had said the court was bound by an earlier Federal Court decision in former prime minister Najib Razak’s RM1.69 billion tax arrears case.
In Najib’s case, the apex court held that taxpayers must settle all outstanding sums assessed to be due before appealing to the special commissioners over the quantum of assessment made by LHDN.
In 2021, LHDN filed a suit against Shafee, who is Najib’s lawyer, to recover more than RM9.41 million in tax arrears.
LHDN alleged that Shafee owed the government the sum for unpaid tax over five years: RM434,326.17 for 2011, RM978,854.11 (2012), RM3.58 million (2013), RM1.73 million (2014) and RM1.82 million (2016).
LHDN said notices of assessment for the five years mailed to Shafee’s last known address on May 31, 2019 were not returned to the department.
