FG Stands Firm on January 1 Implementation of New Tax Laws — Minister Idris

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the new tax laws from January 1, 2026, insisting there will be no reversal of the reforms. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the legislation had undergone thorough consultations, legislative scrutiny, and presidential approval, and that there is only one official version of the law. Speaking in Abuja, Idris said the government would await a report from the National Assembly regarding alleged alterations in the gazetted Tax Administration Act but emphasized that the executive has no authority over the matter.

Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, and former FIRS Executive Chairman Muhammad Nami echoed the minister’s position. Oyedele warned against drawing conclusions from documents circulating in the public space, noting that only the harmonised copy certified by the Clerk of the National Assembly and sent to the President is legally binding. He clarified that some controversial provisions, including a 20 percent deposit referenced in Section 41(8), appeared in draft versions but not in the final gazette.

Nami described the allegations of alterations as a matter for careful investigation rather than public protest. He stressed that the tax reforms represent years of research and legislative effort, and abandoning them would undermine institutional credibility and waste national resources. According to Nami, the reforms are designed to plug leakages, increase revenue, fund economic development and social programs, strengthen security, and attract foreign investment, while ensuring equitable taxation that supports small businesses and job creation.

The House of Representatives has set up an investigative committee following claims by PDP member Abdulsamad Dasuki of Sokoto State that the laws passed by both chambers differ from the gazetted versions. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen appointed seven members to probe the alleged alterations, though no specific timeframe for completion was given.

President Tinubu has signed four major tax reform bills into law: the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act. Together, they establish a unified tax authority under the Nigeria Revenue Service and are intended to simplify compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernize revenue collection across federal, state, and local governments. Despite opposition from some northern lawmakers and calls from the National Economic Council to withdraw the bills, the President insisted on their passage after extensive consultations and public hearings.