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Proposed tax reform bills not against north, says presidency

The presidency says the proposed tax reform bills are not against the north

The presidency has said that the tax reform bills are not against the north but they are rather meant to benefit all the 36 states in Nigeria.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga offered this explanation in a post on his official X account on Thursday afternoon.

Onanuga made the explainer after governors of the 19 northern states of Nigeria, under the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) at their meeting on Monday, October 28, 2024, expressed their opposition to the new derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution in the new tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

Chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, read the communiqué.

The NGF meeting also had traditional rulers from the region, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, in attendance.

“While we commend the governors and traditional rulers for supporting President Bola Tinubu over the success recorded in addressing the country’s security challenges, we consider it necessary to address the misunderstandings and misgivings around the tax reform already embarked upon by the administration,” Onanuga said.

President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives aimed at streamlining Nigeria’s tax administration processes, enhancing efficiency and eliminating redundancies across the nation’s tax operations.

These reforms emerged after an extensive review of existing tax laws. The National Assembly is considering four executive bills designed to transform and modernise Nigeria’s tax landscape.

First is the Nigeria Tax Bill, which aims to eliminate unintended multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.

Second, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) proposes new rules governing the administration of all taxes in the country.

It’s objective is to harmonise tax administrative processes across federal, state and local jurisdictions for ease of compliance for taxpayers in all parts of the country.

Third, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill seeks to rename the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect the mandate of the Service as the revenue agency for the entire federation, not just the Federal Government.

Fourth, the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering federal and all states’ tax authorities.

The fourth bill also suggests establishing the Office of Tax Ombudsman under the Joint Revenue Board, which would serve as a complaint resolution body for taxpayers.

“It is instructive to note that these proposed laws will not increase the number of taxes currently in operation. Instead, they are designed to optimise and simplify existing tax frameworks,” Onanuga clarified.

“The tax rates or percentages will remain the same under these reforms, as they focus on ensuring a more equitable distribution of tax obligations without adding to the burden on Nigerians.

“The reforms will not lead to job losses. On the contrary, they are structured to stimulate new avenues for job creation by supporting a dynamic, growth-oriented economy.”

Importantly, Onanuga said these laws will not absorb or eliminate the duties of any existing department, agency, or ministry.

Instead, they aim to harmonise revenue collection and administration across the federation to ensure efficiency and cooperation.

He said at the moment, tax administration lacks coordination among federal, state, and local tax authorities, often resulting in overlapping responsibilities, confusion, and inefficiency and without reform, this inefficiency will persist.

According to him, the proposed laws aim to coordinate efforts between different tiers of government, resulting in better tax resource management and greater clarity for taxpayers.

He pointed out that under existing laws, taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), Tertiary Education Tax (TET), Value-Added Tax (VAT), and other taxing provisions in numerous laws are administered separately, with individual legislative frameworks.

Onanuga stated that the proposed reforms seek to consolidate these multiple taxes, integrating CIT, PIT, CGT, VAT, PPT, and excise duties into a unified structure to reduce administrative fragmentation.

On the proposed derivation-based VAT distribution model, which the Northern Governors oppose, he said it must be stressed that the new proposal, as enunciated in the Bill, is designed to create a fairer system.

Onanuga said the current model for distributing VAT is based on where the tax is remitted rather than where goods and services are supplied or consumed.

He disclosed that the ongoing tax reform seeks to correct the inherent inequity in the current derivation model as a basis for distributing VAT revenue.

“The new proposal before the National Assembly outlines a different form of derivation which considers the place of supply or consumption for relevant goods and services,” the presidency aide said.

“This means that states in the Northern region that produce the food we eat should not lose out just because their products are VAT-exempt or consumed in other states.

“These reforms are critical to improving the lives of Nigerians and were not put forward by President Tinubu to undermine any part of the country.

“There is no better time than now for the National Assembly to give due consideration to these bills that will overhaul our tax systems and create the revenue all the tiers of government require to fund the development our country and people urgently need.”

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He expressed condolences to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Army and commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased COAS as well as the government and people of Osun State on the demise of their illustrious son, praying to Allah to grant repose to his soul.