Tinubu Insists New Tax Laws Will Take Effect January 1

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed that the newly enacted tax laws will take effect on January 1 as scheduled, dismissing calls from opposition figures and pressure groups to delay their implementation.

In a statement, the President stressed that the reforms are not intended to impose additional tax burdens on citizens.

Instead, he explained that the measures are aimed at resetting the country’s tax structure, improving harmonisation across the system, safeguarding dignity, and reinforcing the social contract between the government and the people.

“The new tax laws, including those that took effect on June 26, 2025, and the remaining acts scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, will continue as planned,” the president said on Tuesday.

“These reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for our country.”

He called for support from all Nigerians as the tax laws would take effect in a few days.

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“Our administration is aware of the public discourse surrounding alleged changes to some provisions of the recently enacted tax laws.

“No substantial issue has been established that warrants a disruption of the reform process. Absolute trust is built over time through making the right decisions, not through premature, reactive measures.”

Controversy has continued to surround the newly enacted tax laws following allegations by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, that there are inconsistencies between the bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and released to the public.

Dasuki maintained that his legislative rights were violated, insisting that the contents of the gazetted tax laws differ from what lawmakers debated and approved during plenary sessions in the House.

“Before you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we have what has not been gazetted. We don’t have what was passed,” he said.

“The official harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, we don’t have a copy to compare. Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what we sent.

“It should be the House of Representatives or Senate version. It should be the harmonised version certified by the clerk. Even me, I cannot say that I have it. I only have what was presented to Mr President to sign.”

His remarks triggered renewed calls for the suspension of the tax laws. Opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, as well as pressure groups such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have condemned the alleged alterations and urged the Federal Government to pause the implementation of the legislation.

President Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law in June, in what the government has described as the most far-reaching overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades.

The new laws comprise the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act. Together, they establish a unified framework under a single authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service.

Despite facing strong resistance from some lawmakers and influential stakeholders during the legislative process, the tax reform bills were eventually passed and are scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2026.