The Office of the Tax Ombud has called for stronger trust between taxpayers and revenue authorities, stressing that fairness, transparency and accessible dispute resolution are critical to improving compliance with tax laws.
The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the Office, Dr. John Nwabueze, made the call in Kaduna during a two-day stakeholder engagement, where the Kaduna State Government offered to host the North-West Regional Headquarters of the institution.
Nwabueze said the Office was established to address operational, procedural and administrative grievances arising from tax and revenue administration and to provide an independent and impartial platform for resolving complaints.
He said strengthening confidence in the tax system required both taxpayers and revenue authorities to understand and respect their respective rights and responsibilities, adding that the Tax Ombud was positioned to bridge gaps that could otherwise lead to prolonged disputes.
‘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 said.
Nwabueze stressed that the Office was not established to cancel legitimate tax liabilities or encourage non-compliance, but to ensure that taxpayers and relevant authorities were treated fairly within the law.
He said the free mediation services provided by the Office could help taxpayers and revenue authorities resolve disagreements without resorting to lengthy and costly litigation, thereby creating a more predictable tax environment.
The Tax Ombud said the Kaduna engagement also featured a roadshow across the metropolis, during which taxpayers and business owners were sensitised on their rights and responsibilities and given opportunities to interact directly with officials and lodge complaints.
Supporting the initiative, the Kaduna State Government offered to provide an enabling environment for the immediate establishment of the Tax Ombud’s North-West Regional Headquarters in the state.
Governor Uba Sani, represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Hon. Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, said the presence of the institution in Kaduna would strengthen taxpayers’ confidence and promote voluntary compliance across the region.
The Governor said Kaduna had continued to improve its tax collection processes through technology and regular engagement with taxpayers, stressing that increased compliance was critical to generating the revenue required to finance development projects and social services.
He said the state was prepared to provide office accommodation and other necessary support to facilitate the take-off of the regional headquarters, adding that an accessible Tax Ombud office would improve taxpayers’ access to independent mechanisms for resolving grievances.
The engagement brought together representatives of the seven North-West states, business owners, organised private sector groups and professional bodies to deliberate on taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities and ways of improving fairness, transparency and efficiency in revenue administration.
Also speaking, Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, represented by his Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation, Hon. Isah Mu’azu, described the establishment of the Tax Ombud as timely, particularly as state governments seek to increase internally generated revenue to finance infrastructure and social services.
Aliyu said the institution could strengthen taxpayer confidence by promoting fairness in tax administration and providing an alternative mechanism for resolving disputes, adding that Sokoto State supported efforts to ensure equitable treatment in revenue collection.
The Acting Chairman of the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service, Dr. Muhammad Lawal, said the engagement would strengthen efforts to build trust in the tax system through transparent processes.
Also, the representative of the Nigerian Revenue Service, Falalu Yahya, said the Ombud could provide relief to taxpayers who might otherwise face slow and costly litigation.
Yahya urged the Tax Ombud to ensure that the rights of all parties were protected, saying tax authorities should also be able to approach the Office where they had grievances against taxpayers or required mediation.
The North-West Zonal Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Kassim, and the Chairman of the ICAN Kaduna District, AbdulAzeez Olagunju, separately welcomed the initiative, stressing the importance of a fair and transparent tax administration system to businesses and economic growth.
The stakeholders at the end of the two-day engagement reaffirmed their commitment to continuous dialogue and collaboration aimed at building a fair, transparent and accountable tax system across the North-West and Nigeria.