Presidency Finally Speaks on Alleged Discrepancies in New Tax Laws
- The Presidency dismissed claims of discrepancies between the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions
- President Bola Tinubu recently signed four tax reform bills into law, set to take effect January 1, 2026
- Several allegations has been raised on the new tax law set to be implemented
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Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, has dismissed claims of discrepancies between the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted.
He described the reports of altered provisions “false and misleading.”
Source: Twitter
The clarification comes amid growing controversy over the new tax laws, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations calling for their suspension.
President insists there were no inconsistencies
Concerns were raised earlier by House of Representatives member Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alleged inconsistencies between the bills debated and passed by lawmakers and the versions made public, claiming that his legislative rights had been violated.
Speaking on Morning Brief on Channels Television, Oyedele, said there was no evidence to support the allegations.
Oyedele explained:
“Before you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we need to have what was passed.
"What has been circulating has not been gazetted, and we do not have the certified harmonised version for comparison."
He noted that the official harmonised bills, certified by the Clerk of the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent, are not publicly available.
He added:
“Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what they sent. Even I do not have the harmonised version; I only have what was presented to Mr President to sign."
Source: Getty Images
Presidency defends new tax law
Addressing concerns about Section 41(8) of the proposed law, which reportedly required a 20% tax deposit,
Oyedele said he had contacted the relevant House committee for clarification.
He stated.
“I know that particular provision is not in the final gazette, but it was in an early draft. Some people wrote and circulated a committee report before the committee had even met."
Oyedele stressed that the document circulating in the media did not originate from the official committee set up by the House of Representatives, urging stakeholders to allow lawmakers to complete their investigation.
President Bola Tinubu recently signed four tax reform bills into law, described by the Federal Government as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades, Punch reports.
The laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, all operating under a unified authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service.
What to know as salary earner in new tax law
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government has disclosed that from January 1, 2026, Nigerians earning modest incomes, small businesses, and everyday taxpayers will begin to enjoy a wide range of exemptions and reliefs under the new tax reform laws signed by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
There are 50 key exemptions and deductions covering personal income, pensions, small businesses, and essential goods and services.
Source: Legit.ng
