By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
ISSUANCE OF guidelines for the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax laws has been halted by the Federal Government due to uncertainty over the final version of the legislation.
Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed that he instructed the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) to wait, saying guidelines cannot be issued without clarity on the final official version of the laws.
Oyedele spoke in Lagos while responding to questions after delivering a keynote address on the 2026 Economic Outlook organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
He said concerns over whether documents currently in circulation represent the final version of the tax laws prompted him to direct his team to obtain a printed copy from the government printer.
Oyedele said feedback from his staff showed that the National Assembly (NASS) had taken custody of all printed copies and instructed that they should not be sold or made available to the public until lawmakers complete their review.
“The Acts Authentication Act (TAAA) says whatever the government printer publishes is the evidence of the law that was passed,” Oyedele said.
“That government printer published something which we said is the official version. Lawmakers said it is not what they passed. So, they said they would do their own gazettes.”
He said lawmakers set up a committee, carried out a review and produced their own gazettes, which were sent to him in soft copy, adding that the process does not align with the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act.
Oyedele said his staff visited the government printer to buy a copy of the law but were told it was not ready and that they should wait.
“So, I also told everybody, the NRS and JRB, to wait, because we cannot issue guidelines,” he said.
“We are not 100 percent certain that this is the final official position.”
He said further feedback indicated that the NASS collected all printed copies from the government printer and directed that they should not be sold pending the conclusion of the review.
Oyedele said while the review is acceptable, it has reintroduced uncertainty into the tax reform process.
