Tax Ombud urges Nigerians to challenge unfair tax demands

By Abubakar Yunusa

Nigeria’s first Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze, has called on Nigerians and businesses facing unfair tax assessments, multiple taxation and disputes with revenue agencies to seek redress through the newly established office.

Nwabueze said the office was created to provide an independent platform for taxpayers who previously had no avenue to challenge alleged unfair treatment by tax and revenue authorities.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting with finance correspondents and newsroom executives in Abuja on Tuesday, he described the Office of the Tax Ombud as the first point of call for aggrieved taxpayers.

“So you can say that the Office of the Tax Ombud is the first-to-go place for any aggrieved taxpayer,” he said.

The Tax Ombud explained that the office would serve as an impartial institution for resolving disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities through mediation, conciliation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

He said taxpayers who disagree with tax assessments or actions taken by revenue agencies could approach the office before resorting to litigation.

According to him, the intervention process could lead to a review of disputed assessments where taxpayers establish legitimate grounds for complaints.

“Say they give you the assessment, like N200m, for instance, and you feel it is not up to that. Maybe your claim is supposed to be like N100m. So you come to us. We will look at your case. We now intervene,” he stated.

Nwabueze clarified that the office was not a court and would not replace the Tax Appeal Tribunal. He said dissatisfied parties could still proceed to the tribunal after exhausting mediation efforts.

He disclosed that the office has a broader mandate than similar institutions in some countries, covering tax and revenue-related complaints involving agencies such as the Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

The Tax Ombud revealed that the office had already begun handling complaints, including cases involving the Niger State Internal Revenue Service and NIMASA.

“We have a couple of cases that have come out from the state, one from Niger State Internal Revenue and one from NIMASA. And those ones were recent, and we are working on them,” he said.

Nwabueze noted that the establishment of the office under Nigeria’s new tax administration framework was designed to strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in the tax system.

He lamented that many taxpayers had suffered unfair treatment over the years without knowing where to seek help.

“Before now, most taxpayers, I can assure you, have been treated unfairly. And they have got nowhere to go to,” he said.

Citing customs-related disputes affecting importers, he said the office would help prevent avoidable business losses arising from unresolved revenue claims.

He, however, stressed that the office would not automatically side with taxpayers, noting that some individuals and businesses deliberately evade taxes or under-declare their liabilities.

“My office looks at both sides of the coin. We are there for the taxpayer. We are also there for the tax authorities and revenue authorities,” he added.

On the persistent challenge of multiple taxation, Nwabueze said the office was collaborating with the Joint Revenue Board and state revenue agencies to tackle overlapping taxes and levies imposed by different tiers of government.

While acknowledging that resolving the problem would take time, he said efforts were ongoing to harmonise tax administration and reduce the burden on taxpayers.

“Things are being done to see how to at least provide some relief to Nigerians and stop some of those very extreme activities of the local governments,” he said.

The Tax Ombud disclosed that Nigeria had become the eighth country in the world to establish an Office of the Tax Ombud, describing the development as a significant step towards building trust in the nation’s tax administration system.

He argued that improved public confidence would encourage voluntary tax compliance and ultimately boost government revenue generation.

“When the public is confident that the tax system is fair to them, compliance increases. And with the increase in compliance, the revenue for the country goes up,” he said.

Nwabueze further disclosed that the office had unveiled a website, toll-free call centre and case management portal to enable taxpayers to lodge complaints and monitor the progress of their cases online.

According to him, the call centre includes a callback feature to assist taxpayers, particularly those in rural communities who may have limited access to communication facilities.

He said operations had commenced in Abuja and the six geopolitical zones, with plans to expand to all 36 states and local government areas.

Despite the rollout, Nwabueze admitted that public awareness of the office remained low and urged journalists to help educate Nigerians on its functions and complaint procedures.

He added that the office remained open to criticism and public feedback, noting that its early performance would shape the future of tax dispute resolution in the country.

The Federal Government had earlier announced that taxpayers could now resolve tax-related disputes free of charge through the Office of the Tax Ombud platforms aimed at promoting fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration.