Tax Ombud warns revenue agencies against multiple taxation

The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze, has warned revenue authorities against multiple taxation, arbitrary assessments and illegal levies, saying the practices could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s tax reforms.

Nwabueze, who spoke at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja on Friday, urged tax agencies to respect taxpayers’ rights and ensure that the implementation of the new tax laws did not expose individuals and businesses to unlawful charges.

He said fairness and transparency were essential to building public trust and improving voluntary tax compliance.

The CEO warned that arbitrary assessments, overlapping levies and inconsistent enforcement could discourage compliance and weaken confidence in the tax system.

The Tax Ombud said the new tax reforms, which took effect on January 1, 2026, were aimed at simplifying compliance, improving revenue generation, supporting eligible small businesses and strengthening accountability.

He, however, said the success of the reforms would depend on how fairly the laws were implemented.

“Fairness is not a favour to taxpayers; it is the foundation of public trust and sustainable revenue mobilisation.

“The success of these reforms will depend not only on the quality of our laws but also on how fairly they are implemented,” he said.

Nwabueze said the Office of the Tax Ombud, established under the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2025, would provide an independent platform for taxpayers to seek redress over administrative grievances.

He said the office was developing a digital complaint management system, taxpayer education programmes, stakeholder partnerships and dedicated call centres to improve access to its services. He also disclosed plans to introduce a Taxpayer Charter in English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin to educate citizens on their rights and obligations.

The Tax Ombud warned that tax authorities must respect exemptions and reliefs provided by law, particularly those available to eligible small businesses.

“Tax obligations must be administered consistently and proportionately. Exemptions and reliefs provided by law, particularly for eligible small businesses, must be properly communicated and respected. No taxpayer should face unlawful or avoidable administrative burdens,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abuja Markets Management Limited has raised concerns over multiple levies and unauthorised revenue collection affecting traders in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the company, Onya Ojiji, said traders faced multiple charges on the same activities, collections without receipts and unclear tax assessments.

Ojiji who was represented by the Head of Finance and Accounts, Faruk Baffa, said the activities of unauthorised agents had further complicated tax compliance for small and medium-scale traders.

He pledged the organisation’s support for efforts to educate traders on their rights, discourage illegal collections and improve communication between market operators and revenue authorities.

Also speaking, the President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Innocent Ohagwa, called for increased public enlightenment on the new tax laws, saying poor understanding of tax obligations could lead to confusion and non-compliance.

“Without the knowledge, without the understanding, there is usually confusion everywhere on the issue of compliance,” he said.

The Senior Special Adviser on Intergovernmental and International Matters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Sulaiman Danzaki, also lamented the burden of multiple taxation on commercial drivers.

He said transport operators faced repeated collections by different authorities, sometimes without proper receipts or explanations.

Danzaki called for harmonisation of transport-related taxes and greater consultation with operators, warning that excessive levies increased operating costs and could lead to higher transport fares.

He said the union, which he claimed had more than four million members, was not opposed to paying legitimate taxes but wanted greater transparency and accountability in revenue collection.

The NURTW representative also expressed concern over road maintenance and vehicle operating costs, saying transporters needed greater accountability for the taxes and levies they paid.

The post Tax Ombud warns revenue agencies against multiple taxation appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.