The Federal Government has drawn a firm line on Nigeria’s far reaching tax reforms, declaring that the January 1, 2026 implementation date is untouchable.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, made this clear on Friday in Lagos after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, dismissing any speculation of a possible shift in the take-off date of the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act.
“The plan to commence the new laws on January 1, 2026, will go ahead as planned on schedule because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe.
Oyedele said the reforms are structured to ease the burden on ordinary Nigerians while stimulating economic growth.
“Bottom 98 per cent of workers will see either no Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax or lower taxes to be paid, small businesses 97 per cent of them will be exempted from Corporate Income Taxes, Value Added Tax (VAT), and Withholding Tax, and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they pay.
“The whole idea is to try and promote economic growth, inclusivity as well as shared prosperity for our people,” he added.
His comments come amid controversy sparked by allegations from some lawmakers that the tax laws signed by the President differed from what was passed by the National Assembly.
A member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, had raised concerns over what he described as discrepancies between the versions debated by lawmakers and those later gazetted.
“Before you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we have what has not been gazetted. We don’t have what was passed,” he said.
“The official harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, we don’t have a copy to compare. Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what we sent.
“It should be the House of Representatives or Senate version. It should be the harmonised version certified by the clerk. Even me, I cannot say that I have it. I only have what was presented to Mr President to sign.”
Oyedele said the Federal Government is ready to work with the National Assembly to clear all doubts and address concerns raised by Nigerians, including opposition figures.
President Tinubu has already signed the four tax reform bills into law, a move the government describes as the most significant overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades.
Despite stiff opposition, especially from some northern lawmakers before passage, the new tax regime is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026.
The laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, all to operate under a unified authority known as the Nigeria Revenue Service.
