…NEPZA, Shippers Council, NCC seek fairer, transparent tax administration

The Federal Government is set to introduce a Taxpayer Charter that defines the rights and obligations of taxpayers and sets standards of fairness, transparency, and accountability in the administration of taxes.

The Nigeria Tax Ombudsman, John Nwabueze, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday at a stakeholder engagement organised by his office, saying the charter would be launched within the next two weeks as part of efforts to strengthen taxpayer protection and restore confidence in the tax system.

Nwabueze said the charter would provide taxpayers with a clearer understanding of their entitlements when dealing with tax and revenue authorities, as well as the responsibilities imposed on them by law.

He said effective taxpayer protection depended largely on citizens knowing their rights and understanding where and how to seek redress when those rights were violated.

According to him, the charter would be made available through the office’s digital platforms to enable taxpayers across the country to access information on their rights, obligations and available channels for resolving complaints.

The Ombudsman said the initiative was part of broader reforms aimed at creating a more coordinated and responsive tax administration in which revenue mobilisation would be matched by institutional accountability and protection of taxpayers.

He disclosed that the Office of the Taxpayer Ombudsman had launched a website, contact centre and case management portal through which taxpayers could lodge complaints, obtain information, track cases and receive assistance on tax-related administrative issues.

Nwabueze said the office had also commenced public awareness and stakeholder sensitisation programmes to educate taxpayers about its mandate and mechanisms available for resolving administrative and procedural difficulties involving revenue authorities.

He added that plans were underway to expand the office’s presence across the country, with at least three additional offices expected to commence operations in the coming weeks.

The expansion, he explained, would bring the Ombudsman’s services closer to taxpayers who might otherwise encounter difficulties accessing the headquarters in Abuja.

The Taxpayer Ombudsman was established to address gaps in Nigeria’s tax dispute resolution system, particularly complaints arising from administrative and procedural challenges before matters escalate to tax tribunals or the courts.

Nwabueze noted that existing mechanisms for objections to tax assessments, administrative reviews, appeals and litigation remained necessary for determining substantive tax liabilities. Still, taxpayers also required an independent avenue for addressing administrative grievances.

He said the office had commenced receiving, investigating and resolving complaints relating to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties and excise matters.

The Ombudsman said the Taxpayer Charter would therefore provide an important framework for defining the relationship between taxpayers and revenue authorities, stressing that effective tax administration must balance government’s responsibility to collect revenue with its obligation to ensure fairness and accountability.

He called for greater collaboration among taxpayers, employers, revenue institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation.

According to him, taxpayer protection and revenue mobilisation should not be treated as competing objectives but as complementary requirements for building an effective, trusted and sustainable tax system.

He also urged the media to support the implementation of the charter by creating awareness about its provisions and the mechanisms available to taxpayers seeking assistance or redress.

The Ombudsman said the initiative was consistent with the Federal Government’s ongoing tax reforms aimed at addressing fragmentation, complexity and the burden associated with Nigeria’s tax system.

At the engagement, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for greater fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration.

The Director of Finance and Accounts, NEPZA, Olufemi Babalola, said businesses operating in free zones were entitled to various incentives designed to attract investment, including tax and customs-related concessions.

He said Nigeria currently had about 65 free zones comprising privately developed, state-owned and public-private partnership zones, including the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos Free Zone, Dangote Free Zone and Calabar Free Trade Zone.

Babalola said operators in the zones had embraced the new tax laws, although discussions were ongoing with tax authorities to resolve areas requiring clarification.
He commended the Tax Ombudsman for creating a platform for engagement between taxpayers and government institutions, expressing the hope that the initiative would produce practical solutions to challenges confronting businesses.

Also speaking, Deputy Director, Abuja Liaison Office, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Pauline Osasena, said tax administration should be anchored on fairness, transparency and trust, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and businesses involved in shipping, importation, exportation and other port-related activities.

She said tax laws and assessments must be predictable, consistent and applied without discrimination, warning that multiple levies and unclear charges should not excessively burden businesses.
Osasena said taxpayers were more likely to comply voluntarily when they understood the basis of their tax obligations and could see how public revenue was being utilised.

She identified trust as a critical component of an effective tax system, saying taxpayers must be confident that disputes would be resolved impartially, harassment would be avoided and government institutions would also be held accountable.

Similarly, the Director, Financial Services, Nigerian Communications Commission, James Kalu, said an efficient, transparent and equitable tax administration system was essential to improving compliance, strengthening revenue mobilisation and creating a favourable investment climate.

Kalu noted that the telecommunications sector had demonstrated the importance of transparency, stakeholder engagement, technology and effective dispute-resolution mechanisms in building public confidence.

He said the same principles could be applied to tax administration through simplified processes, stronger accountability, innovation and open channels of communication among regulators, revenue authorities, businesses and citizens.

The NCC said compliance should be encouraged through confidence and trust rather than enforcement alone, stressing that institutions must remain responsive and committed to protecting taxpayers’ rights and interests.

The commission expressed confidence that the engagement would generate practical recommendations for strengthening Nigeria’s tax administration and improving relations between taxpayers and government revenue institutions.