The federal government has issued comprehensive transition guidelines for the implementation of the Tax Acts, 2025, outlining how taxpayers and revenue authorities should migrate from the repealed tax laws to the new tax regime, which takes effect from January 1, 2026.
The development was disclosed in a statement released by the Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit, of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Efe Ovuakporie.
According to the ministry, the guidelines are intended to provide clarity for taxpayers, tax practitioners, revenue authorities, and other stakeholders on the administration of tax obligations during the transition from the previous legal framework to the new one.
The Tax Acts, 2025, comprise the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act.
Each law will take effect on its respective commencement date as provided in the legislation, with the Nigeria Tax Act becoming operational on January 1, 2026.
Under the guidelines, tax liabilities, audits, assessments, investigations, disputes, and enforcement actions relating to periods before the commencement date will continue to be handled under the repealed tax laws.
Similarly, tax returns covering accounting periods ending before January 1, 2026, will be filed under the former legal framework, while returns due from that date onward will be administered under the new tax system.
The guidelines also provide direction on the treatment of income taxes, transaction taxes, development levies, tax incentives, exemptions, record-keeping obligations, and transactions that span both the old and new tax regimes.
Existing tax incentives and exemptions granted under the repealed laws will remain valid until their scheduled expiration dates.
However, new applications and pending requests will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Tax Acts 2025.
Speaking on the release of the document, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, described the guidelines as an essential framework for managing transitional issues while ensuring that the new tax laws are not applied retrospectively.
He noted that the Tax Acts, 2025, represent a major milestone in Nigeria’s tax reform agenda and that the guidelines establish clear procedures for handling existing obligations, ongoing matters, and future transactions under the new regime.
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According to the minister, the transition framework is built on three guiding principles: clarity, fairness, and administrative certainty.
The government stated that the guidelines are designed to ensure consistent implementation across the Nigeria Revenue Service, state internal revenue services, the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, local government revenue committees, tax practitioners, and taxpayers nationwide.
It reaffirmed its commitment to developing a transparent, efficient, and modern tax administration system that promotes economic growth, strengthens revenue collection, encourages voluntary compliance, and enhances Nigeria’s investment climate.
