Presidency Dismisses Discrepancy Claims Over New Tax Laws

Presidency dismissed claims of altered tax laws.
Officials say no final gazetted version exists for comparison.
New tax reforms begin implementation in January 2026.

The Presidency has dismissed claims of discrepancies surrounding the newly signed tax reform laws scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, describing reports circulating in the media as misleading.

EDITOR’S PICKS

EKO HOT BLOG reports that concerns had been raised by some political stakeholders over alleged differences between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and released to the public.

A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, had alleged that lawmakers’ legislative rights were breached, insisting that the gazetted laws did not reflect what was debated and approved on the floor of the House.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, rejected the allegation, saying there was no credible evidence to support the claims.

Oyedele explained that there was currently no officially gazetted version of the laws available for comparison with the bills passed by lawmakers.

“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,” he said.

“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 members of the tax reform committee did not possess the certified harmonised version, noting that he only had access to the document presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.

Addressing concerns over a controversial provision, Section 41(8), which reportedly required a 20 percent deposit, Oyedele said the clause appeared only in a draft document and not in the final version.

“I know that particular provision is not in the final gazette, but it was in the draft gazette,” he said, adding that the House committee involved had not met before the draft circulated publicly.

President Tinubu recently signed four major tax reform bills into law, marking what the Federal Government described as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades.

The reforms include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, all operating under a single authority.

According to the government, the laws aim to simplify tax compliance, expand the tax base, remove multiple taxation and modernise revenue collection nationwide.