Is It True that Muslims Are Exempt from Tax Payment as Claimed by Ezekiel Dachomo? Fact Emerges
- A Plateau-based cleric, Ezekiel Dachomo, claimed Muslims would be exempt from Nigeria’s new tax laws while Christians would pay.
- The claims have now been fact-checked by independent sources, and they have found the truth
- On September 9, the federal government gazetted Nigeria’s new tax reform laws, with implementation set to begin on January 1, 2026
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Claims that Muslims are exempt from paying tax under Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax reform laws have been fact-checked by independent sources.
Source: Twitter
The claim was made by Plateau-based cleric, Ezekiel Dachomo, during a podcast appearance on Lucky Udu Experience, where he alleged that the new tax laws would apply only to Christians, insisting that Muslims would not be affected.
According to Dachomo, Christians would be the ones to bear the burden of taxation when the reforms take effect, while Muslims would allegedly be excluded.
He said under the new tax reforms, Christians — not “Islamic people” — would pay taxes.
“They are saying next year, they will start paying tax. I told my fellow Christians, ‘this tax, we are the one to be paying it’. But as far as Islamic people is concerned, they will never pay that tax. They are not paying that tax,” he said.
His comments have since circulated widely on social media, triggering debate and concern among Nigerians.
The tax laws
On September 9, the federal government gazetted Nigeria’s new tax reform laws, with implementation set to begin on January 1, 2026.
The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025 (NTAA), the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 (NRSEA), and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025 (JRBEA).
On October 4, Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee, said every Nigerian who earns an income has a responsibility to declare it.
Source: Twitter
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, influencers, and public analysts on the new tax laws, Oyedele said the obligation to “self-declare” income has always existed in law and is not a fresh imposition.
“Sex workers, agberos, you know what I said is, everybody has the responsibility to self-declare. That is the first obligation in the law,” he said.
Fact checks
A review of these laws by The Cable Check shows that tax obligations are determined by income level, type of business, and applicable reliefs — not religious affiliation.
The law does exempt certain types of tax payment, including those of Nigerians earning below N250,000 or less per month.
A comprehensive list of exemptions and reliefs targeting low-income earners, average taxpayers, and small businesses can be seen here.
Meanwhile, the exemptions do not provide any tax relief based on religious affiliation.
VERDICT
The Cable concluded that there is no evidence to support Dachomo’s claim, as existing laws do not exempt Muslims from paying taxes.
Under the new tax reforms, all taxable individuals and companies are legally required to pay taxes.
Presidency defends new tax law
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Presidency dismissed claims of discrepancies between the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions
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 as “false and misleading.”
Source: Legit.ng
