The Federal Government has confirmed that the remaining two of the four recently signed tax reform laws will take effect on January 1, 2026, despite ongoing controversy over alleged alterations to the legislations.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos. The delegation included the Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe.

Oyedele said the meeting aimed to update the President on the implementation status of the four landmark tax reform laws, noting that two— the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act—have already commenced.

“The remaining two laws, the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, are scheduled to commence on the first of January 2026,” Oyedele stated, stressing that the timeline remains unchanged.

He said the Federal Government welcomed the position of the House of Representatives committee investigating alleged alterations and remains open to legislative engagement where necessary.

“The plan to commence the two remaining new laws on the first of January 2026 will go ahead as scheduled because these reforms are designed to provide relief to the Nigerian people,” Oyedele said.

Under the new regime, most workers and small businesses are set to benefit significantly. “Bottom 98 per cent of workers will see either no PAYE tax or lower taxes. Small businesses, 97 per cent of them, will be exempted from Corporate Income Tax, VAT, Withholding Tax, while large businesses will see a reduction in taxes,” he explained.

Oyedele added that planning for implementation began immediately after the bills were transmitted to the National Assembly, with six months since presidential assent dedicated to capacity building, system upgrades, and sensitisation. He emphasised that the staggered rollout allows newly created institutions, such as the Office of the Tax Ombudsman, to become operational before the laws take effect.

“The intention of this tax reform is not immediate revenue generation but long-term economic growth, expanded tax base, and improved tax culture,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly said it is addressing the controversy over the passage, assent, and gazetting of the four laws within its constitutional and statutory mandate. In a statement, the legislature noted that relevant committees are reviewing harmonisation and publication issues, and that certified true copies of the Acts are being facilitated by the Clerk to the National Assembly.

The legislature stressed that the review is administrative and does not imply any defect in legislative authority, reaffirming its commitment to constitutionalism, transparency, and due process.