The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is set to launch a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and Obligations in the coming weeks as part of efforts to deepen taxpayer awareness, promote fairness and strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s tax administration.
The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive Officer of the OTO, Mr John Nwabueze, disclosed this yesterday at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja.
Nwabueze said the Bill would provide taxpayers with a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities while setting out the standards of fairness, transparency and accountability they should expect from tax and revenue authorities.
He said the document would be made available through the OTO’s digital platforms and other public channels to ensure broad access.
“We believe this will strengthen taxpayer awareness, encourage voluntary compliance, prevent disputes and build greater trust across the tax ecosystem,” he said.
‘We’ll ensure fairness in tax administration’
Describing the stakeholders’ engagement as a key component of the OTO’s taxpayer rights campaign, Nwabueze pledged that the office would work to promote a fair, transparent and responsive tax system.
He said a simplified and equitable tax system was critical to building a new national consciousness and restoring public confidence in tax administration.
“This is not simply about discussing taxation and revenue. It is about strengthening the relationship between the taxpayer and the institutions responsible for administering public revenue,” he said.
Nwabueze said the OTO had commenced a structured public awareness and stakeholder sensitisation programme to improve understanding of its mandate, services and the rights available to taxpayers.
He explained that effective protection of taxpayers’ rights depended on citizens knowing those rights and understanding where and how to seek redress when they encountered difficulties.
The Tax Ombud disclosed that Nigeria’s OTO was the third institution of its kind established in Africa and the ninth globally, placing the country within the broader international development of modern tax administration.
