Tax Ombud, North West stakeholders unite to protect taxpayers’ rights

The Office of the Tax Ombud and stakeholders from the public and private sectors in the North West have pledged to strengthen the protection of taxpayers’ rights and improve trust in Nigeria’s tax administration system.

The commitment was made on Tuesday in Kaduna at the end of a two-day stakeholder engagement organised by the Office of the Tax Ombud.

The engagement, which began on Monday, brought together representatives of the seven states in the North-West, business owners, members of the organised private sector and professional bodies to discuss fairness, taxpayer grievances and effective revenue administration.

In his welcome address, the Tax Ombud/Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze, said the institution was established as an independent, impartial and non-judicial body for addressing operational, procedural and administrative grievances in tax and revenue administration.

Nwabueze said the office provides free services designed to resolve disputes, mediate complaints and promote a transparent, fair and consistent tax administration system. “Our focus is not only on the rights of taxpayers but also on their responsibilities and those of the relevant authorities,” he said.

He, however, clarified that the Tax Ombud was not established to cancel legitimate tax liabilities or encourage tax evasion.

“The Tax Ombud is not a mechanism for cancelling legitimate tax liabilities merely because the taxpayer does not wish to pay. We do not make tax policy. We do not encourage non-compliance. We do not shield taxpayers from their lawful obligations and we are certainly not the courts,” he said.

As part of the engagement, the office conducted a roadshow across Kaduna metropolis to sensitise taxpayers and business owners about their rights and responsibilities, as well as the role of the Tax Ombud.

Nwabueze said the outreach also enabled taxpayers to interact directly with officials and lodge complaints.

In his remarks, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, stressed the importance of improving taxpayer compliance to increase revenue available for financing development projects and social services.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, said his administration had improved tax collection through technology and regular engagement with taxpayers.

He said the Tax Ombud could play an important role in strengthening taxpayer confidence and encouraging compliance through its free mediation services.

Sani also appealed to the Tax Ombud to establish its North-West regional headquarters in Kaduna, pledging the state government’s support and an enabling environment for the immediate take-off of the office.

Similarly, Sokoto State Governor, Dr Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, described the establishment of the Tax Ombud as timely, particularly as states seek to increase internally generated revenue to fund infrastructure and social services.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation, Isah Mu’azu, the governor said the office could strengthen trust in tax administration by providing taxpayers with an accessible alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

“Our support for the Tax Ombud’s work will help ensure equitable treatment and address long-standing challenges in tax collection and administration,” he said.

The Acting Chairman of the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service, Dr Muhammad Lawal, said the engagement would help build trust in the tax system through transparent processes.

Also speaking, the representative of the Nigerian Revenue Service, Falalu Yahya, described the Tax Ombud as a regulatory initiative that could provide relief to taxpayers who might otherwise face lengthy and costly litigation.

Yahya urged the Ombud to protect the rights of all parties appearing before it, noting that tax authorities could also approach the office with complaints against taxpayers over alleged unfair treatment and other grievances requiring mediation.

The North West Zonal Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Kassim, said the private sector welcomed the initiative as a step towards creating a fairer business environment in the region.

The Chairman of the ICAN Kaduna District, AbdulAzeez Olagunju, also pledged the institute’s support, saying fairness in revenue administration was critical to economic growth.

The stakeholders resolved to sustain dialogue and collaboration between taxpayers and tax authorities towards building a fair, transparent and accountable tax administration system in the North-West and Nigeria.