The Federal Government has released implementation guidelines for the Tax Acts 2025, outlining the procedures for transitioning from repealed tax laws to Nigeria’s new tax framework, which came into effect on January 1, 2026.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Efe Ovuakporie, Director of Press Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance. According to the ministry, the guidelines are intended to provide clarity to taxpayers, tax practitioners, revenue authorities and other stakeholders on issues that may arise during the transition period.
The document explains that the Tax Acts 2025, comprising the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, will apply from their respective commencement dates as provided in the laws.
Under the new arrangement, tax liabilities, assessments, audits, investigations, disputes and enforcement actions relating to periods before January 1, 2026, will continue to be governed by the repealed tax laws.
The ministry further stated that tax returns for accounting periods ending before January 1, 2026, would be filed under the previous legal framework, while returns due from that date onward would be administered under the provisions of the new tax regime.
“Tax returns relating to accounting periods ending before January 1, 2026, will be filed under the previous tax laws, while returns falling due from January 1, 2026, onward will be administered under the new tax framework,” the statement said.
Commenting on the release of the guidelines, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the framework was designed to address transitional issues while ensuring that the provisions of the new laws are not applied retroactively.
Oyedele described the Tax Acts 2025 as a major milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing tax reform agenda, noting that the guidelines provide certainty on how existing obligations, pending matters and future transactions will be treated under the new system.
According to him, the transition framework is expected to ensure continuity in tax administration, reduce uncertainty among stakeholders and support the smooth implementation of one of the most significant overhauls of Nigeria’s tax system in recent years.
