TAX LAWS: Nigerian govt insists on January 2026 implementation date
The Nigerian government has indicated that it would not yield to pressure to back down on the appointed January date for the commencement of the implementation of its controversial tax laws despite allegations of alterations trailing the document.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, made the declaration on Friday after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos.
In the company of Oyedele to present the Nigeria Tax Reform Acts to President Tinubu were the Chairman of the newly established National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Joseph Tegbe, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji.
Leading opposition figures and civil society organisations have asked President Tinubu to halt the implementation date and investigate the allegation of alteration, which became public knowledge following the startling revelation by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, that the officially gazetted by the Federal Government was different from the final copy passed by the lawmakers and sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) in a statement on Tuesday said the controversies surrounding the laws threaten the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.
He warned that the issues strike at the heart of constitutional governance and called for a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation to restore public confidence.
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Oyedele, however, maintained that despite investigation by the National Assembly surrounding veracity of alterations, the federal government would proceed with the Nigeria Tax Act and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, effective from January 1, 2026.
He recalled that four tax-related laws were signed into law, and further clarified that two, namely the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act and the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act have already commenced since June 26, 2025.
He said:” We met with Mr. President to give an update about the implementation of the tax reform laws. As you already are aware, there are four of those laws, and two of them have already commenced, and that’s the Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Act and the Joint Revenue Service Establishment Act, commenced on the 26th of June, 2025 the remaining two laws, that’s the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act are scheduled to commence on the first of January 2026.
“We welcome the statement by the National Assembly, House of Representative committee today on the findings and the work around the allegations about alteration.
“The Federal Government is committed to working with the National Assembly if and when any action is required, and therefore the plan to commence the new law the two remaining new laws on the first of January 2026 will go ahead as planned on schedule, because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people. Bottom 98% of workers will see either no pay tax or lower taxes to be paid.
“Small businesses, 97% of them will be exempted from corporate income tax, VAT withholding tax and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they paid.
“The whole idea being to try and promote economic growth inclusivity as well as shared prosperity for our people. So we’re actually excited that the progress we’re making, and we’re looking forward to January 1, 2026.”
Oyedele told newsmen that the intention of the tax laws was not immediate revenue generation but to widen the revenue base to ultimately grow the economy.
He said:” The plan, the intention for this tax reform is not immediate revenue generation. We believe that over time, you get revenue from growth when the economy is growing, people pay not because tax rate has gone up, but because the base has increased.
“And number two is these reforms have rationalised a lot of wasteful and incentive that are distortionary, which is in itself, not helpful for the economy.
“And number three is we see as a result of this transformative tax reform, increasing awareness of and then task culture, and therefore improve compliance.
“So, if people that were not paying before start paying, and there are no people who are low income earners, not only do you get more revenue, you get fairness for society.”
