Nigeria’s Tax Ombud has disclosed plans to strengthen collaboration with tax and revenue authorities at both national and subnational levels to improve operational efficiency.
Chief Executive, Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this while speaking at the 159th meeting of the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) held in Lagos State.
The JRB comprises the Revenue Boards of the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory and all tax and revenue generating agencies in the country.
In a statement on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary, Office of the Tax Ombud, Chukwudi Achife, said while speaking on the topic “The role of the Tax Ombud in facilitating dispute resolution and strengthening trust in the tax system in the context of emerging tax reforms”, Dr Nwabueze stated that the Office of the Tax Ombud represented one of the most significant institutional innovations in Nigeria having been established as an independent and impartial body to guard tax payer rights and promote administrative justice within the tax and revenue framework.
The Office, he explained, functions as a bridge between taxpayer and revenue authorities, receiving and investigating complaints from taxpayers and facilitating resolution through mediation and conciliation.
Stressing that these mechanisms were faster, more cost effective and less adversarial alternatives to litigation, the Tax Ombud said the Office also played a systemic role in identifying recurring issues in tax and revenue administration and recommending reforms to improve efficiency, fairness and transparency.
The Office, he said, builds public trust by serving as an independent neutral platform to resolve taxpayer grievances without the high cost of litigation.
According to him, the unique features include impartial mediation, watchdog role against arbitrary fiscal policies, taxpayer rights education, accountability mechanism and systemic improvement.
He however emphasised that the Office of the Tax Ombud “does not determine tax liability nor does it replace the courts or the Tax Appeal Tribunal but rather focused on ensuring that tax administration is conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable manner.
“The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is a bold and progressive effort to harmonise revenue systems, expand the tax base and improve compliance”, he further stated.
Noting that all reforms inevitably come with challenges, Dr. Nwabueze said the Office plays a critical role in smoothing friction points in the new tax regime, ensuring confidence, compliance and supporting revenue authorities in improving operational efficiency.
He said: “The OTO helps to ensure that compliance with the new tax laws is driven not by fear or coercion, but by trust and understanding.”
He therefore sued for collaboration and partnership between OTO and tax authorities noting that Nigeria’s revenue administration depended on the seamless integration of all tax and revenue components with the OTO as a critical pillar in the ecosystem.
