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Nigeria New Tax Laws: What You Need to Know
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday signed four new tax laws aimed at modernising and streamlining the country’s tax system.
In the new tax law, the Value Added Tax rate remains at 7.5 per cent despite initial proposals to increase to 12.5 per cent, but its scope is expanded.Essential items—such as food, education, healthcare, public transport, residential rent, and exports—are zero-rated to ease inflationary pressure.
For revenue allocation is restructured: now 30 per cent of VAT proceeds are distributed based on consumption (rather than contribution), 50 per cent equally among states, and 20 per cent to population-based allocation.
With the latest development, it is expected that state revenue streams will increase, and it will also discourage tax evasion.
Overview of the four new lawsNigeria Tax Act:
Consolidates various tax rules into a single, simplified code, eliminating over 50 small, overlapping taxes. This reduces complexity and duplication, making it easier for businesses to comply.
Tax Administration Act:
Establishes uniform rules for tax collection across federal, state, and local governments, ensuring consistency and reducing administrative conflicts.
Nigeria Revenue Service Act:
Replaces the Federal Inland Revenue Service with the independent Nigeria Revenue Service, aiming for greater efficiency and autonomy in tax administration.
Joint Revenue Board Act:
Enhances coordination between different government levels and introduces a Tax Ombudsman and Tax Appeal Tribunal to handle disputes fairly.
Key objectives of the new tax rules
Simplify Tax System:
Reduces bureaucratic hurdles and overlapping taxes to make compliance easier, especially for small businesses and informal traders.
Increase Revenue Efficiency:
Aims to boost Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio from 10% (below the African average of 16–18%) to 18 per cent by 2026 without raising taxes on essential goods.
Reduce Financial Burden:
Provides relief for low-income households and small businesses while ensuring high-income earners and luxury consumers contribute more.
Fund Public Services: Increased revenue will support infrastructure, healthcare, and education, reducing reliance on borrowing.Who benefits and how
Low-Income Households:
Individuals earning up to ₦1 million ($650) annually receive a ₦200,000 rent relief, reducing taxable income to ₦800,000, exempting them from income tax.
VAT exemptions on essential goods and services (food, healthcare, education, rent, power, baby products) lower living costs.
Small businesses:
Businesses with an annual turnover below ₦50 million ($32,400) are exempt from company income tax.
Simplified tax filing without requiring audited accounts reduces compliance costs.
Large businesses:
Corporate tax rates drop from 30 per cent to 27.5 per cent in 2025 and 25 per cent thereafter.Tax credits for VAT paid on expenses and assets allow businesses to recover the 7.5 per cent VAT.
Charitable, educational, and religious organisations:
Tax incentives for non-commercial earnings, encouraging community-focused activities.
Impact on different groups
Low-Income Earners:
Benefit most from income tax exemptions and lower costs for essentials, increasing disposable income.
Small Businesses and informal traders:
Simplified rules and tax exemptions encourage compliance and reduce financial strain, potentially formalising more businesses.
High-income earners and luxury consumers face higher VAT on luxury goods and premium services, plus capital gains tax on large share sales.
Government: Expects increased revenue for public services without overburdening vulnerable citizens.
Why reforms were needed:
Nigeria’s tax system was outdated, inefficient, and disproportionately harsh on low-income groups.
The low tax-to-GDP ratio (10%) limited funding for critical services like healthcare and infrastructure.
Overlapping taxes and complex rules deterred compliance, especially among small businesses and informal traders.
Public and expert reactionsPositive sentiment:
Small business owners welcome tax exemptions but seek clarity on enforcement to avoid unexpected levies.
Low-income earners appreciate relief on essentials but remain cautious about implementation.
Taiwo Oyedele, head of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, claims 90% public support, emphasising that success depends on awareness and trust.
The reforms align with Tinubu’s administration’s goal to reduce economic inequality and boost fiscal capacity without overburdening citizens.
By encouraging voluntary compliance and reducing reliance on loans, Nigeria aims to strengthen its economy and fund development projects.
These reforms mark a significant step toward a fairer, more efficient tax system, with a focus on supporting vulnerable groups while fostering economic growth.
However, their success hinges on transparent enforcement and public trust.
For further details, you can refer to official statements from the Nigerian government or credible news sources covering the reforms.
News
President Tinubu returns to Lagos ahead of APC primaries tomorrow (Video)
Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
• President Tinubu chats with African business leaders during the African CEO Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday arrived in Lagos after a three-nation visit to France, Kenya and Rwanda.
Tinubu’s aircraft touched down at about 7:12 p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
A statement issued by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the president was received by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Femi Hamzat; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and other government officials.
President Tinubu, while in France, met with global investors, emphasising transparency and fiscal discipline and explaining the rationale for the swift implementation of the bold economic reforms his administration has instituted.
Watch Video below:
News
Anxiety as chemical pollution affects 6 Ogun schools, 90 students
Triggers Widespread Panic One Month After Similar Incident
More than 90 students across several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode were hospitalised on Friday after a suspected chemical odour permeated the town, sparking panic among parents and residents.
Ohibaba.com learned that the pollution was caused by gas leak along the Agoro/Okunowa Road axis of Ijebu-Ode; the situation is now under control by the state environmental monitoring agency, and poses no further danger.
The incident occurred barely one month after a similar chemical odour episode at Our Lady of Apostles Girls School left several students hospitalised.
Eyewitnesses reported that a strange smell spread rapidly across parts of the ancient town, prompting parents and guardians to rush to schools to evacuate their children. Emergency responders moved over a thousand students from affected schools to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for medical attention.
Medical personnel at the hospital said many of the affected students complained of abdominal pain and related symptoms. Residents in surrounding communities and adjoining streets were also reportedly impacted by the unusual odour.
Affected schools include Our Lady of Apostles School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Sambadola Private School, Adeola Odutola Secondary School, and St. Anthony School, Esure, in Ijebu Mushin.
As of the time of reporting, no senior government officials had arrived at the State Hospital, where anxious parents and residents gathered in large numbers.
Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that medical personnel were attending to the students. He added that environmental officials from both federal and state agencies had been mobilised to investigate the situation.
The General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, disclosed that an air quality monitoring device installed at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School recorded elevated methane gas concentrations, with peak readings of about 13,500 ppm in surrounding areas.
Bello explained that the device was deployed under the state government’s environmental surveillance programme for early detection of abnormal air quality. He noted that while the methane level remains below the lower explosive limit, it is environmentally significant and requires urgent investigation.
The Ogun State Government has since activated a multi-agency team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, and technical air quality experts to assess the situation.
Bello advised residents to stay calm, continue normal activities, and avoid open flames or ignition sources in areas where unusual gas odours are noticed. He urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, or respiratory discomfort to seek immediate medical attention at nearby health facilities.
The government assured the public of its commitment to protecting lives and public health, promising further updates as investigations progress.
News
JUST IN: Dangote files new lawsuit against FGN over fuel import licences
The new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a new lawsuit against Nigeria’s attorney general in a bid to overturn fuel import licences issued to marketers and the NNPC state oil firm.
Reuters reported that the new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.
The case signals renewed tensions almost a year after Dangote withdrew an earlier lawsuit challenging similar licences.
That case sought to nullify import permits issued to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and several traders.
NMDPRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Regulators and marketers have previously argued imports are needed to ensure adequate supply and prevent shortages.
Dangote said in the filing that the licences issued this month undermine its operations and contravene the law, which it argues allows imports only when domestic supply falls short.
Dangote ended the earlier lawsuit in July 2025 without explanation, leaving unresolved questions over competition and supply in one of Africa’s largest fuel markets.
Nigeria has long relied on petrol imports due to underperforming state refineries. Dangote’s $20 billion facility, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, was billed to end that dependence, but imports have continued to cover supply gaps as the refinery ramps up output.
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