House Releases Tax Reforms Acts for Scrutiny to Address Discrepancy Controversy

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives has released the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, following public controversy over alleged alterations to the nation’s tax laws.

The decision comes amid concerns raised on the floor of the House regarding discrepancies between versions of the tax laws in circulation and the Acts as passed by the National Assembly.The Speaker of the House, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, in concurrence with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio yesterday, directed the immediate release of the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the laws, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the President, to enable public reference and verification.

The released legislations are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.

The controversy erupted during plenary when Sokoto lawmaker, Abdussamad Dasuki raised a point of privilege, drawing the attention of the House to what he described as inconsistencies between certain versions of the newly enacted tax laws circulating in the public domain and the texts debated and passed by the National Assembly.Dasuki warned that the circulation of such versions, if left unaddressed, could undermine public confidence in the legislative process and the integrity of the laws.

Following his intervention, the House resolved to investigate the matter, prompting the Speaker to order an internal verification of the Acts and the public release of the certified versions to clarify the situation and dispel doubts over the authenticity of the laws.In a statement issued yesterday, the House spokesman, Mr. Akin Rotimi, said the decision to release the Acts signed by President Tinubu “underscores the Speaker’s long-standing commitment to transparency, legislative integrity, and public confidence in the law-making process.”

The statement read in part, “The attention of the House was drawn to the existence of inconsistent versions of the tax laws in circulation after a vigilant Honourable member identified discrepancies, raised the alarm, and formally reported the matter to the House on a point of privilege.

“Acting promptly, the Speaker ordered an internal verification and the immediate public release of the certified Acts to eliminate doubt, restore clarity, and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.

“From the initiation of the tax reform process through extensive stakeholder consultations, committee scrutiny, rigorous clause-by-clause consideration, robust plenary debates, and eventual passage, Speaker Abbas has provided firm and steady leadership to ensure that the reforms were evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities and development priorities. Throughout the process, the Speaker consistently emphasised that tax reform must be anchored on clarity, fairness, and strict adherence to constitutional and parliamentary procedure.

“The four Acts released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.“These landmark legislations constitute the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform architecture, designed to modernise revenue administration, improve compliance, reduce inefficiencies, eliminate duplications, and strengthen fiscal coordination across the federation.”

According to the statement, the Speaker, in directing the release of the certified Acts, reassured Nigerians that the National Assembly remains an institution guided by due process and proper record-keeping.“In directing the release of the certified Acts, the Speaker reassured Nigerians that the National Assembly remains an institution of records, guided by clearly defined rules, precedents, archival systems, and verification processes that safeguard the authenticity of every law enacted.”

Rotimi also quoted the Speaker as saying, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway. Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”

The Speaker, on behalf of the House, assured Nigerians that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are those certified and released by the National Assembly.“Members of the public, institutions, professionals, and stakeholders are therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any other documents or versions in circulation that are not certified by the National Assembly, as such materials do not form part of the official legislative record.

“Consequently, the Clerk to the National Assembly has concluded the process of aligning the Acts – duly passed, assented to, and certified – with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity, and uniformity.

“Hard copies of the certified tax Acts have also been produced and are being circulated to all Honourable Members and Distinguished Senators, and made available to the public, to ensure institutional clarity, uniform reference, and legislative certainty,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the House said the work of the Ad-Hoc Committee earlier set up to investigate the alleged alterations would continue.

“The House affirms that the work of the Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by Rt Hon Muktar Betara, continues, in line with its mandate, to determine the circumstances surrounding the circulation of unauthorised versions of the tax Acts and to recommend measures that will prevent a recurrence and preserve the authenticity and reliability of parliamentary records.

“The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, and accountable governance.

“The House will continue to strengthen internal controls, uphold institutional discipline, and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process in the collective interest of the Nigerian people,” it added.