Presidency Clarifies Controversy Over Alleged Discrepancies In New Tax Laws

The Presidency has clarified reports of discrepancies in the new tax reform laws scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, insisting that claims circulating in the media were based on misinformation.

This followed growing criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, lawmakers, and several civil society groups, who called for a suspension of the implementation of the laws.

The controversy was triggered by claims from Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives, who alleged that the versions of the tax laws gazetted by the government differed from those debated and approved by the National Assembly. Dasuki argued that such discrepancies amounted to a breach of lawmakers’ legislative rights.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, ‘The Morning Brief’ on Monday, the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, said the allegations were unfounded.

“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,” Oyedele explained.

“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.”

He added that even his committee did not possess the certified version of the harmonised bills, noting that only the National Assembly can clarify the final contents.

Oyedele further revealed that he had contacted the House Committee on Finance concerning a contentious provision under Section 41(8), which reportedly requires taxpayers to make a 20 per cent deposit before pursuing certain appeals.

“I know that particular provision is not in the final gazette, but it was in the draft gazette. Some people decided to write the report of the committee before the committee had met, and it circulated everywhere,” he said.

“What is out there in the media did not come from the committee set up by the House of Representatives. I think we should allow them to do the investigation.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had recently signed four major tax reform bills into law — the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act which will operate under a unified body known as the Nigeria Revenue Service.

According to the Federal Government, the reforms represent the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades and are designed to simplify compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernise revenue collection at all tiers of government.