Tax reforms cut 50 levies to nine, says JRB

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Joint Revenue Board has said more than 50 levy collection items previously administered by state and local governments have been streamlined to nine following the implementation of Nigeria’s tax reforms.

The JRB Executive Secretary, Olusegun Adesokan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna at the 160th meeting of the board, themed, “One Year of Tax Reform: Assessing Progress and Addressing Challenges,” saying the reforms were designed to end multiple and overlapping taxation.

Adesokan said the era of multiple taxation would soon become a thing of the past as the new tax regime harmonised revenue collection across the subnational governments.

He said 18 state Houses of Assembly had already domesticated the model harmonised taxes and levies law.

According to him, the move was part of efforts by the apex tax authorities to eliminate duplication and overlapping taxes across the country.

The JRB boss said the model law had also abolished cash collection and the mounting of roadblocks for revenue collection.

He said the measures had recorded significant progress in harmonising taxes and levies across the states and local governments.

Adesokan dismissed concerns that the reforms had increased the tax burden on Nigerians.

He said the reforms had instead reduced the burden on low-income earners, eliminated multiple nuisance taxes and provided relief for micro-scale businesses.

The executive secretary commended the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, for hosting the meeting and supporting the tax reform initiative.

Speaking while declaring the meeting open, Sani said the reforms had not only eliminated duplication in taxation but had also improved revenue generation.

The governor said Nigeria’s national tax revenue rose from approximately N10.1tn in 2023 to N21.6tn in 2024 and about N36.8tn in 2025.

“In the first half of 2026 alone, revenue reached approximately N21.6 trillion, representing a 49 per cent increase over the corresponding period of the previous year,” Sani said.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for taking what he described as “the bold and politically demanding decision” to fundamentally reform the country’s tax architecture.

Sani said the reforms included landmark legislation that transformed the former Joint Tax Board into the Joint Revenue Board.

“That decision reflected a profound understanding: that a modern economy cannot be sustained by an outdated, fragmented or overly complex revenue system,” he said.

He added that Nigeria needed a tax system that was “coherent, predictable, efficient” and capable of supporting national development without unnecessarily constraining businesses and investment.

The governor also commended the JRB Chairman and Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, for what he described as exceptional leadership in advancing the tax reform agenda.

Sani said Adedeji’s contribution went beyond technical competence, describing it as an appreciation of the need to strengthen revenue mobilisation while making the system simpler, fairer and more predictable for taxpayers.

“Reforms of this magnitude inevitably require courage. They demand the patience to build consensus, the discipline to stay the course and the institutional imagination to turn legislation into effective administrative practice,” he said.

The governor said the reforms were also targeted at simplifying Nigeria’s complex tax environment, reducing multiple taxation and using technology and e-invoicing to minimise revenue leakages.

He said the measures would consolidate revenue administration and rebuild the relationship between government and taxpayers.

“Sustainable taxation cannot be based on coercion alone but must be founded on fairness, transparency, predictability, and trust,” Sani said.