Advertisement
Taxpayers To Get Rights Charter In Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin – Tax Ombud
The Office of the Tax Ombud is set to break the language barrier in tax administration with the launch of a Taxpayer Charter in five Nigerian languages.
The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive, Dr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this in Abuja at a Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum on promoting fairness in tax administration.
The forum was theme, “Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum on Promoting Fairness in Tax and Revenue Administration in Nigeria.”
Dr. Nwabueze said the Charter, which will be produced in English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin, is designed to explain taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities in accessible language.
“Tax administration must be guided by professionalism, courtesy and respect,” he said.
“The Office is advancing a Taxpayer Charter intended to explain taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities in accessible language including English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin,” he announced.
He explained that the move became necessary because many small businesses, individual taxpayers and vulnerable persons struggle to understand their obligations due to complex grammar and language barriers.
According to him, protecting vulnerable taxpayers does not exempt them from paying tax, but ensures that lawful obligations are administered fairly and understood clearly.
“Small businesses, individual taxpayers and persons facing barriers to information or access must be able to understand their obligations and seek redress without unnecessary difficulty,” Nwabueze stated.
The Tax Ombud noted that fairness in the new tax reforms which started in January 2026 will only be achieved if ordinary Nigerians understand what the law says about exemptions for eligible small businesses and how to seek redress.
He added that the Office has already developed a digital complaint management framework and a dedicated call centre to complement the Charter, so that taxpayers who face arbitrary assessments or overlapping levies know where to turn.
“Tax obligations must be administered consistently and proportionately. No taxpayer should face unlawful or avoidable administrative burdens,” he stressed.
Dr. Nwabueze commended President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope tax reforms, but cautioned that without clear communication in languages people understand, voluntary compliance will remain low.
