- Says 98% of low-income earners to pay lower or no PAYE under new regime
- National Assembly begins internal review amid controversy, orders fresh gazette publication
The Federal Government will proceed with the implementation of the remaining two recently signed tax reform laws on January 1, 2026, as scheduled, notwithstanding the controversy over alleged alterations, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said.
Oyedele spoke to journalists after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the President’s residence in Lagos, where he led a delegation that included the Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe.
He explained that the visit was to brief the President on the state of implementation of the four landmark tax reform laws signed earlier this year, noting that two of the laws are already in force.
“So we met with Mr. President to give an update about the implementation of the Tax Reform Laws. As you’re already aware, there are four of those laws, and two of them have already commenced,” Oyedele said.
According to him, the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act and the Joint Revenue Service (Establishment) Act took effect on June 26, 2025, while the remaining two, the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, are scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026.
“The remaining two laws, that’s the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, are scheduled to commence on the first of January 2026,” he stated, stressing that the timeline remains unchanged.
Oyedele said the Federal Government welcomed the recent position of the House of Representatives Committee on the allegations of alteration surrounding the laws, adding that the Executive remains open to legislative engagement where necessary.
“We welcome the statement by the National Assembly, House of Representatives’ committee today on the findings and the work around the allegations about alteration. The Federal Government is committed to working with the National Assembly, if and when any action is required,” he said.
He emphasised that the decision to proceed with implementation as planned was driven by the pro-people nature of the reforms, which are designed to reduce the tax burden on ordinary Nigerians and stimulate economic growth.
“Therefore the plan to commence the two remaining new laws on the first of January 2026 will go ahead as planned, on schedule, because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people,” Oyedele said.
He disclosed that under the new tax regime, the vast majority of workers and small businesses would benefit significantly, with lower or zero tax obligations.
“Bottom 98 per cent of workers will see either no PAYE tax or lower taxes to be paid. Small businesses, 97 per cent of them, will be exempted from Corporate Income Tax, VAT, Withholding Tax, and large businesses will see a drop in the taxes that they pay,” he explained.
Oyedele said the overarching objective of the reforms is to promote “economic growth, inclusivity, as well as shared prosperity,” adding that the reform team is optimistic about the January 2026 rollout.
“We’re actually excited about the progress we’re making, and we’re looking forward to January 1, 2026,” he said.
Responding to questions on the level of preparedness for implementation, Oyedele said planning had been extensive and deliberate, beginning from the moment the bills were transmitted to the National Assembly.
“As you know, the Tax Reform Bills were at the National Assembly for nine months; from October 2024 until June 2025, and for us, preparation started from day one,” he said, adding that the six months since presidential assent had been devoted to “capacity building, system upgrade and sensitisation.”
He described the reform as a continuous process rather than a one-off event.
“This kind of reform is work in progress. You never get to perfection; you get better as you go along. So we believe that we’re at a point already,” Oyedele noted.
He explained that the staggered commencement of the laws was intentional, allowing institutions created by the reforms to become operational ahead of full implementation.
“One of the reasons why two of the tax laws took effect about six months ago is so that those institutions can start getting ready. For example, you have the Office of the Tax Ombudsman. You can’t set up that office on day one and it begins to work on day one,” he said.
On expected revenue from the reforms, Oyedele clarified that immediate revenue generation was not the primary goal, arguing that sustainable revenue would come from economic expansion and improved compliance.
“The intention for this tax reform is not immediate revenue generation. We believe that over time, you get revenue from growth, when the economy is growing,” he said.
He added that by widening the tax base, eliminating wasteful incentives and improving tax culture, the reforms would deliver fairness and stronger public finances in the long run.
“If people that were not paying before start paying and they’re not low-income earners not only do you get more revenue, you get fairness for society,” Oyedele said.
Meanwhile, the management of the National Assembly has reacted to controversy surrounding the legislative process on key tax laws, saying it is addressing the issues strictly within its constitutional and statutory mandate.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, Director, Information, for the Clerk to the National Assembly, the National Assembly said “the attention of the Management of the National Assembly has been drawn to public commentary concerning the legislative process relating to the passage, presidential assent, and publication in the Official Gazette of the following Acts: the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.”
The release noted that “the commentary has referenced matters relating to the harmonisation of the aforementioned Bills passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, the assent by the president and the versions of the Acts published in the Official Gazette.”
According to the statement, “the leadership and management of National Assembly is addressing these matters strictly within its constitutional and statutory mandate.”
It added that “accordingly, the relevant Committees, in collaboration with the Management of the National Assembly, are conducting an internal review.”
The National Assembly explained that “this review is being undertaken in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Acts Authentication Act, Cap. A4, LFN 2004, the Standing Orders of both Chambers, and established parliamentary practice.”
As part of the process, and “in the course of this review, and for the purpose of ensuring clarity, accuracy, and sanctity of the legislative record,” the leadership said it has “directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to facilitate in collaboration with the relevant agencies the publication of the Acts in the Official Gazette and to issue certified true copies of the assented Acts on demand to any stakeholder or the general public.”
The statement stressed that “this administrative action is intended solely to authenticate and formally reflect the legislative decisions of the National Assembly.”
It further clarified that “the review is confined to institutional processes and procedures and does not constitute, imply, or concede any defect in the exercise of legislative authority by either Chamber.”
The exercise, it added, “is undertaken without prejudice to the powers, functions, or actions of any other arm or agency of government.”
Reaffirming its position, the National Assembly said it “remains fully committed to the principles of constitutionalism, separation of powers, and due process.”
It assured that “where procedural or administrative refinements are identified, appropriate measures will be taken in accordance with the law and established parliamentary conventions.”
The legislature also appealed for restraint, stating that “members of the public are respectfully urged to allow the National Assembly’s institutional processes to proceed without conjecture.”
It added that “the leadership of both chambers remain committed to transparency, accountability, and the faithful discharge of its constitutional responsibility as the custodian of the legislative authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The statement said that “further information will be provided as may be necessary.”
