“Those Spreading Rumours About New Tax Laws Are Tax Avoiders,” Says NRS Chairman

Zacch Adedeji, chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), says individuals spreading rumours about Nigeria’s new tax laws are largely people seeking to avoid paying taxes.

Adedeji made the statement during an interview on Arise TV on Sunday, where he addressed growing public concerns about bank transfer narrations and alleged monitoring of personal transactions by tax authorities.

He dismissed claims that personal bank transfers are being taxed or scrutinised under the new laws, describing such reports as false.

“Nobody will look for narration,” Adedeji said. “Those people promoting these rumours and misinformation are those avoiding taxes.”

According to him, transfers between individuals, including transfers to family members, are not monitored by tax authorities.

“No tax authority, whether state or federal, will pry into your bank account to check who transferred what. It was not in the old law and it is not in the new law,” he said. “There is nothing about narration in the tax law.”

Adedeji also addressed complaints about deductions on bank transfers, stating that recent reforms have reduced charges.

“Previously, stamp duties were deducted from both the sender and the receiver,” he said. “Now, only the payer is charged.”

He added that many tax-related complaints raised by the public fall outside the responsibility of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which focuses on corporate taxes.

“For the federal government, through FIRS, we collect corporate taxes,” Adedeji said. “Many of the issues people talk about are actually at the state level.”

The NRS chairman noted that ongoing reforms have prompted several states to domesticate the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, to address these concerns and reduce multiple taxation.

He said the reforms are aimed at supporting economic growth, stressing that government revenue can only increase when citizens and businesses are able to prosper.