NRS, CITN, Push Tax Awareness To Deepen Compliance, Support Reforms

The Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) and Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) have intensified efforts to deepen tax awareness and voluntary compliance as part of measures to support the implementation of Nigeria’s ongoing tax reforms and strengthen national development. Both organisations called on Nigerians to embrace tax compliance as a national duty.

The call was made during the 2026 National Tax Awareness Day celebration held at the headquarters of the NRS in Abuja, marking one year since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the country’s landmark tax reform legislation into law.

Representing the Executive Chairman of the NRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, the Director of Finance and Corporate Services described the reforms as a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s tax administration system, anchored on simplicity, fairness, transparency, efficiency and improved service delivery.

According to him, the reforms are designed to build a tax administration system that is trusted, technology-driven and responsive to the needs of individuals and businesses. He stressed that tax awareness remains the foundation of voluntary compliance, noting that sustainable revenue generation cannot be achieved through enforcement alone.

“Compliance must equally be driven by engagement, education, transparency and the continuous improvement of taxpayer experience,” he said, adding that the NRS has intensified digital transformation initiatives and process automation to make tax compliance easier and more efficient.

He commended CITN for institutionalising the National Tax Awareness Day and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to collaborating with professional bodies and other stakeholders to strengthen public confidence in the tax system.

Earlier, President and Chairman of Council of CITN said the National Tax Awareness Day initiative was conceived to deepen tax education, encourage voluntary compliance and support the implementation of Nigeria’s tax reform agenda.

He disclosed that the 2026 edition was being observed simultaneously across the institute’s 49 district societies covering all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, as well as its international districts in the United Kingdom and North America.

According to him, district societies were conducting tax walks, roadshows, radio programmes, symposiums, town hall meetings and market sensitisation campaigns to educate citizens on the importance of taxation.

He praised the NRS leadership for championing the ongoing reforms and also lauded the recent launch of the NRS 360 platform, describing it as a significant step toward greater efficiency, transparency and innovation in tax administration.

The CITN president noted that June 25 was strategically chosen for the awareness campaign because it coincides with the anniversary of the tax reform legislation and the peak period for filing corporate tax returns.

In his remarks, the 17th President of CITN, Mr. Innocent Ohagwa, said although implementation of the reforms had commenced, many taxpayers still lacked a clear understanding of the changes introduced by the new tax laws.

He observed that misconceptions surrounding the reforms had fuelled unnecessary concerns among taxpayers, with some believing the legislation introduced new taxes across all sectors of the economy, while others viewed it solely as a revenue-generating measure.

Ohagwa highlighted several taxpayer-friendly provisions contained in the reforms, including rent relief of up to 20 per cent of annual rent paid, capped at N500,000, and zero-rated Value Added Tax on essential goods and services such as food, education, healthcare, electricity transmission and non-oil exports.

He also noted that small businesses with annual turnover not exceeding N100 million and fixed assets below N250 million are exempt from Companies Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and the Development Levy, enabling them to reinvest resources into expansion, innovation and job creation.

In addition, he pointed to tax incentives introduced for sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture, dairy production, cocoa processing and animal feed manufacturing to stimulate investment and enhance food security.

While emphasising the benefits of the reforms, Ohagwa urged taxpayers to fulfil their obligations by obtaining tax identification numbers, maintaining proper records, filing returns promptly and seeking professional guidance when necessary.

Also speaking, the Group Director of the Medium Tax Group at the NRS said sustainable revenue mobilisation depends on awareness, trust and voluntary compliance rather than enforcement alone.

He reaffirmed the NRS’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with CITN and other stakeholders to promote taxpayer education, innovation and service excellence.

The event underscored the growing partnership between the NRS and CITN in driving tax education, broadening the tax net and fostering a culture of voluntary compliance to support Nigeria’s economic growth and fiscal sustainability.