Connect with us

Business

FG Exempts Farmers, Manufacturers, SMEs From Paying Withholding Tax

Published

on

Recently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has implemented significant changes to the withholding tax regime, exempting certain categories of entities to foster a more favorable business environment. This development was confirmed by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, in a post on social media.

According to Oyedele, the reforms aim to address various challenges and introduce exemptions and reduced rates under the new withholding tax regime. Key highlights include:

  1. Exemption for Small Businesses: Small businesses are now exempted from withholding tax compliance, which simplifies their tax obligations and reduces administrative burdens.
  2. Reduced Rates for Low-margin Businesses: Businesses with low profit margins will benefit from reduced withholding tax rates, acknowledging their financial constraints.
  3. Exemptions for Manufacturers and Farmers: Manufacturers and producers, such as farmers, are also exempted from withholding tax. This exemption aims to support these sectors crucial to economic growth.
  4. Measures Against Evasion: The reforms include measures to curb tax evasion and minimize tax avoidance, ensuring more effective revenue collection for the government.
  5. Ease of Credit and Utilization: The reforms facilitate easier access to credit and the utilization of tax deducted at source, enhancing liquidity for businesses.

Oyedele highlighted that these changes reflect emerging issues and adopt global best practices in tax administration. The new regulations are expected to be officially published in the gazette soon, providing clarity on the timing of deductions and defining key terms related to withholding tax.

Withholding tax, introduced in Nigeria in 1977, serves as an advance payment of income tax on specified transactions. Its primary objectives are to provide regular revenue to the government and combat tax evasion by ensuring taxes are deducted at the source of income.

Overall, these reforms mark a proactive step by the Nigerian government towards creating a more simplified and business-friendly tax environment, supporting economic activities across various sectors and promoting sustainable growth.

Business

Senate Constitutes Abdullahi Yahaya Tax Harmonisation Committee

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

Published

on

By

The Senate on Thursday constituted a committee saddled with the responsibility of harmonizing its amendments to the tax reform bills with the House of Representatives version for final transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during plenary after the passage of the bills.

Akpabio named senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) as chairman of the committee.

The members of the committee as announced by the Senate President are Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), Chief Whip, Tahir Mongumo (APC, Borno North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), and Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West).

Earlier, the remaining two Tax Reform Bills — the Nigeria Tax Bill 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

This was in addition to passage of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, 2025.

Altogether, the four Tax Reform bills were Executive Bills transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the two chambers of the National Assembly in November last year.

The passage of the bills was sequel to the consideration and adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Finance presented by its Chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).

Continue Reading

Business

Meta’s Exit to Throw 20 million Nigerian MSMEs Out of Business

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.

Published

on

By

A Digital Marketing Consultant at EssenceMediacom, Olayinka Shobola, believes that a shutdown of Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria would deal a serious blow to Nigeria’s digital economy, especially millions of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association reported that Nigerian MSMEs rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility.

“Meta Platforms’ threat to halt operations in Nigeria could devastate 56 percent of the nation’s 39.6 players in the information technology space,” Shobola said, stressing that such an exit would erode tax revenues and force businesses to seek costly alternatives, as a $290 million fine dispute with regulators intensifies.

“Businesses that built their brands on Meta’s platforms would face immediate challenges.

The platforms have become essential tools for business survival and growth in Africa’s largest economy, where SMEs contribute nearly 50 per cent to GDP and represent more than 96 per cent of registered businesses.

“Most likely affected businesses will pivot to platforms like X or TikTok for short-term survival, but long-term, they’ll need to invest in standalone e-commerce or offline channels,” Shobola said.

“Jobs will take a hit; marketers, influencers, and agencies will lose contracts overnight.”

Statista forecasts a $148.2m social media ad market in 2025, with Facebook commanding up to $120m, driven by 38 million ad-reachable users.“My shop practically lives on these platforms, especially Instagram,” Lagos-based baker Fatima Tunde said. “If it’s gone, I’m out of business.”

Continue Reading

Business

UAE Invests in $25bn African- Atlantic Gas Pipeline

The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.

Published

on

By

Gas pipelines

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said that the UAE is now one of the supporters of the Nigeria to Morocco gas pipeline project, which is estimated to cost $25 billion.

“The project now called the “African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline”, has won the support of IDB, OPEC Fund, EIB and the UAE,” Benali told Nigerian lawmakers, this week.

Benali also said that Morocco has finished all the feasibility and engineering studies needed for the pipeline.

Moroccan industry experts said that the project has already passed the feasibility study and Front End Engineering Design stages.

The gas pipeline will connect Nigeria’s gas network with Morocco’s southern city of Dakhla and then go northward toward Europe.

The line will pass through 15 African countries, boosting trade, development, and access to electricity in the region.

In Phase One, it will link Morocco to gas fields near Senegal and Mauritania, and connect Ghana to the Ivory Coast.

Phase Two will link Nigeria to Ghana, while Phase Three will connect the Ivory Coast to Senegal.

Continue Reading

Trending