FG suspends guidelines for new tax laws as Taiwo Oyedele cites uncertainty over final versions, National Assembly review, and misinformation risks.
Thursday, January 15, 2026 | Lagos
The Federal Government has suspended the issuance of implementation guidelines for Nigeria’s new tax laws, citing uncertainty over the final and legally authenticated versions as the National Assembly concludes its review.
The suspension was disclosed by the Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, on Wednesday in Lagos after delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Economic Outlook organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Oyedele said he had formally advised the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) to halt all tax laws guideline-related actions, warning that issuing directives without certainty over the final law would undermine accountability and legal clarity.
“I told the NRS and the JRB to wait because we cannot issue guidelines when we are not 100 per cent certain that this is the final official position,” Oyedele said.
According to him, the uncertainty arose from conflicting versions of the tax laws currently in circulation, prompting his team to attempt to obtain printed copies directly from the government printer, as required by the Acts Authentication Act.
However, Oyedele disclosed that his staff were unable to purchase the tax laws after being informed that all printed copies had been taken into custody by the National Assembly.
“The Acts Authentication Act is clear: whatever the government printer publishes is evidence of the law that was passed.
The government printer published something which we treated as official. Lawmakers said it was not what they passed and decided to do their own review and gazettes,” he explained.
He said that although lawmakers later shared soft copies of revised versions with him, they did not meet the legal standard required for implementation.
“That is not what the Acts Authentication Act says. So I sent my staff to go and buy the law from the government printer. They went there, but they were told it was not ready and that they should wait,” Oyedele said.
Oyedele added that further enquiries revealed that the National Assembly had directed the printer not to sell or release any copies tax laws to the public until its review was completed.
“While that is good in the interest of accountability and transparency, it also creates uncertainty again,” he noted.
Background: Dispute Over Gazetted Tax Laws
The tax laws – the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and Nigeria Tax Act – took effect on January 1 but soon generated controversy over alleged discrepancies between the versions passed by lawmakers and those gazetted and released to the public.
In December, Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) raised a matter of privilege at the House of Representatives, alleging that the ggazettedtax laws did not reflect what members debated, voted on, and approved.
Following the complaint, the House constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the matter. On January 3, the National Assembly released Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the approved laws, disowning the earlier gazetted versions and affirming the texts passed by both chambers.
Few Changes Won’t Affect Core Tax Laws – Oyedele
Reacting to claims that the laws had been altered, Oyedele downplayed the impact of any changes in the tax laws, insisting that the substance of the reforms remained intact.
“There are only a few items, and they do not affect the main things people care about – tax rates, tax burden, or filing deadlines,” he said.
‘Misinformation Cost Market ₦4.6trn in One Day’
Oyedele also expressed concern over what he described as deliberate misinformation aimed at undermining the reforms.
He alleged that some individuals and groups were financially induced to protest against the tax laws, warning that misinformation had already caused real economic damage.
“In November 2025, misinformation wiped about ₦4.6 trillion off the stock market in one day,” he said.
He explained that panic selling occurred despite provisions in the new tax laws exempting individuals with annual sales of up to ₦150 million.
“Fake news led to real losses, including losses suffered by people whose pensions are invested through PFAs,” Oyedele added.
Experts Call for Collaboration in Implementation
At a panel session, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr Chinyere Almona, called for strong inter-agency collaboration in implementing the tax reforms.
She warned that conflicts within policy execution frameworks often undermine outcomes and advocated technology-driven, centralised monitoring systems.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, urged implementation strategies that promote inclusive growth without weakening competitiveness.
He lamented that manufacturing contributes less than 10 per cent to GDP and disclosed that unsold inventory across the sector had risen to about ₦2 trillion.
Accountability Central to Economic Stability – ICAN
In his welcome remarks, ICAN President Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya said accountability remains critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and long-term development.
He noted that Nigeria recorded improved economic indicators in 2025, including GDP growth above 4 per cent, easing inflation, stronger foreign exchange reserves, and improved business confidence.
“Accountability is not merely a governance ideal; it is an economic imperative,” Yahaya said.
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