Report multiple taxation to us, Tax Ombud tells Nigerians

The Federal Government says it has set up a mechanism to end multiple taxation, where citizens and businesses are forced to pay different taxes on the same things. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the helmsman of the newly created Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr. John Nwabueze, said removing these heavy tax burdens […]

The Federal Government says it has set up a mechanism to end multiple taxation, where citizens and businesses are forced to pay different taxes on the same things.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the helmsman of the newly created Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr. John Nwabueze, said removing these heavy tax burdens will bring massive relief to ordinary Nigerians and encourage more people to pay their taxes freely.

Nwabueze stated that many people avoid paying taxes because the system is too frustrating and confusing, noting that the agency was set up to make the process simple for citizens. 

He said, “Paying your taxes is a civic responsibility anywhere in the world, including Nigeria, once the system becomes fair and the extra burdens are gone, people who have been hiding will comfortably come into that net and fulfill their duties.

“In the past, many taxpayers suffered in silence because they did not know who to complain to when different government agencies chased them for the same taxes. The office was set up to fix this exact problem and protect everyday citizens.”

He admitted that the tax will reform not happen overnight, especially since some local government councils are still struggling to understand how to merge and harmonize their revenue collections.

“Some of the local government authorities are not there yet in terms of dealing with that issue of reconciling all these areas of taxation. It doesn’t actually exist. It would take time to address it. Because it would all depend on the different government agencies involved,” he explained.

To further protect the pockets of citizens, Nwabueze revealed plans to partner with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). He noted that tax matters always affect how much consumers pay for goods and services in the market.

“On consumer protection, I will reach out to FCCPC and see how we can come together. Because any issue that has to do with consumer has a direct correlation to tax at some point. So that is something we’re looking at. Because we’re both in the business of addressing issues, trying to resolve issues, I suspect that the management or the leadership of the FCCPC at some point will have to sit down with my team as well,” he said.

The newly created Office of the Tax Ombud functions as an independent watchdog under Nigeria’s new tax laws. Its main job is to act as a peaceful bridge between the public and tax agencies like the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), resolving disagreements quickly through dialogue instead of dragging citizens through expensive and long court cases.