Tax Ombud To Extend Complaint Services To Market Traders, Rural Communities

The Office of the Tax Ombud is taking steps to increase its complaint-handling and backbone providers to market merchants and taxpayers in rural communities by way of a proposed partnership with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).

The Tax Ombud/Chief Executive, Dr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this on Friday at a city corridor assembly attended by representatives {of professional} our bodies, market associations, the personal sector, civil society organisations, and the media.

Nwabueze stated the Office was on the verge of formalising the collaboration with NIPOST to make it simpler for market merchants and taxpayers in rural areas to entry its complaint-handling and backbone providers.

He reaffirmed the Office’s dedication to selling equity, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s tax and income administration, noting that its initiatives have been designed to encourage voluntary compliance, facilitate the neutral decision of complaints, and strengthen confidence between taxpayers and income authorities.

According to him, a good and predictable tax system is crucial for financial development, investor confidence, and improved compliance amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), market merchants, and the broader enterprise group.

Nwabueze recommended President Bola Tinubu, for establishing the Office of the Tax Ombud to supply taxpayers with entry to an unbiased and neutral mechanism for addressing grievances with out worry.

He additionally acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Finance Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele and different stakeholders to the method

Nwabueze famous that his Office was established to advertise consistency, readability, and respect within the administration of tax and income legal guidelines.

In explaining the Office’s mandate, Nwabueze described the Tax Ombud as an unbiased, neutral, and non-judicial establishment mandated to deal with operational, procedural, and administrative grievances arising from tax and income administration.

“Our focus is not only on the rights of taxpayers but also on their responsibilities and those of the relevant authorities.

Our services, which are offered free of charge, are designed to resolve disputes, mediate complaints, and promote a transparent, fair, and consistent tax administration system,” he stated.

The Tax Ombud clarified that the Office was not established to cancel legit tax liabilities just because taxpayers have been unwilling to pay.

“We do not make tax policy. We do not encourage non-compliance, shield taxpayers from their lawful obligations, or perform the functions of the courts. Our role is to facilitate the fair and impartial resolution of eligible complaints within our statutory mandate,” he defined.

Nwabueze additional acknowledged that the Office remained open to collaboration and suggestions from stakeholders, pledging to take care of impartiality in dealing with complaints and tackle systemic challenges, together with insufficient transparency and inefficient grievance-redress mechanisms.

“Our collective objective must be to move from disputes to solutions, from administrative friction to constructive engagement, and from distrust to confidence. We look forward to continued dialogue with stakeholders to build a fair, transparent, and taxpayer-friendly revenue system,” he acknowledged.

Representatives of the Abuja Market, the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), street transport unions, and airline operators recommended ongoing tax administration reforms.

They highlighted the necessity for streamlined administrative processes, clear evaluation standards, and efficient channels for resolving disputes. These priorities, they famous, are important to enhancing taxpayer confidence and compliance.

The Office of the Tax Ombud reiterated its dedication to working with stakeholders to make complaint-resolution providers extra accessible, strengthen accountability, and promote a tax and income administration system that protects taxpayers’ rights whereas upholding the lawful powers and tasks of income authorities.