Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has warned that postponing the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax laws beyond January 1, 2026, would have serious consequences for workers and businesses nationwide.

Oyedele’s remarks come amid growing controversy over claims that the tax laws signed into law differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. The concern was raised last week by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alleged that the gazetted laws did not accurately reflect what lawmakers debated and approved.

Following the allegation, several civil society organisations and political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, called for a suspension of the laws’ implementation pending clarification.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Oyedele cautioned that delaying the reforms would prolong the burden of multiple taxation on most Nigerian workers.

According to him, failure to enforce the laws as scheduled would mean that about 98 per cent of workers would continue to be overtaxed.

“The implication of not implementing the new tax laws by January 1, 2026, is that the bottom 98 per cent of workers remain overtaxed,” Oyedele said.

He added that businesses would also be negatively affected, as they would miss out on key exemptions provided under the reforms and continue to face multiple tax obligations.

“Businesses will lose access to exemptions and continue paying multiple taxes, which places a heavy burden on them. Minimum taxes will still apply to small and unprofitable businesses, while hidden VAT will keep the cost of basic goods and services such as food, healthcare, and education high,” he explained.

Rather than suspending the laws, Oyedele urged stakeholders to address specific areas of concern directly.

“Even if it is established that there were substantial alterations to what the National Assembly passed, the appropriate approach is to identify those provisions—which would not be part of the law—and then implement the law as passed, while investigating how those changes occurred,” he said.

He acknowledged that some provisions in the laws passed by the National Assembly would still require amendments.

“My committee has already identified areas where amendments will be necessary, particularly around referencing and definitions, and we intend to approach Mr President on those issues,” Oyedele noted.

Addressing Rep. Dasuki’s claim, Oyedele said a proper comparison was currently impossible due to the absence of key documents.

“Before concluding that there is a difference between what was passed and what was gazetted, we need the officially harmonised bills certified by the clerk and sent to the President. At the moment, we don’t have those documents. Only lawmakers can authoritatively state what was transmitted,” he said.

He also clarified concerns surrounding Section 41(8), which was reported to require a 20 per cent deposit.

“That provision is not in the final gazette. It appeared only in an earlier draft. Unfortunately, some people circulated the report before the committee concluded its work,” Oyedele said, adding that the reports did not originate from the committee established by the House of Representatives.

The four tax reform bills, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu and described as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades, are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.

They include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, all to be implemented under the Nigeria Revenue Service.

Although the reforms faced resistance from some northern lawmakers before their passage, the government says they are designed to simplify tax compliance, broaden the tax base, and modernise revenue collection across the country.