Nigeria’s government has launched a six-week assessment of its tax reforms to fix problems that have surfaced since the new rules took effect in January.
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the review will examine VAT thresholds, withholding taxes, capital gains treatment and multiple taxation issues, with findings feeding into the 2027 Finance Bill.
The four major tax laws came into full effect on January 1, 2026.
Once rules hit the real economy as businesses interpret them, administrators apply them and citizens experience them gaps and confusion emerge.
Implementation reveals where clarification is needed and where unintended consequences have cropped up, Oyedele said.
The government is moving from sweeping reform to continuous improvement, he stressed.
The 2027 Finance Bill is not about reversing 2025 changes but protecting their core principles while learning from what actually happened when the laws began working.
Questions being asked include where ambiguity has surfaced, where simpler compliance is possible and where investment and competitiveness can be boosted.
The review stretches beyond tax alone to cover fiscal policy, public finance management, debt, transparency and capital markets.
The government received 134 submissions from across the country when it asked for public input.
Stakeholders want VAT thresholds clarified and simplified, withholding tax rules refined and stronger action against multiple taxation.
Many called for better coordination among revenue bodies, more digitalisation to stop taxpayers re-submitting information already held by government and faster refunds.
The subcommittee has been told to consider how proposed changes affect low-income households, workers and small businesses.
Oyedele warned that tax complexity itself is a burden it raises costs and creates room for disputes.
Where two approaches work equally well, choose the simpler one.
The panel includes officials from finance, justice, revenue and customs agencies alongside representatives from major employers, accountants, business groups and the Big Four accounting firms. It has six weeks to finish and report back.
