Tax Ombud to establish six zonal offices nationwide

…Targets December take-off, moves to tackle multiple taxation

…Plans dedicated desks in all tax authorities

Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

The Office of the Tax Ombud is to establish six zonal offices across the country as part of efforts to strengthen taxpayer protection, improve complaint resolution and address the problem of multiple taxation.

The Tax Ombud, Dr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this at a media breakfast meeting in Abuja at the weekend, saying the offices were expected to be launched between November and December and become fully operational by the end of December.

He said infrastructure development and recruitment of personnel were already part of the expansion plan.

“Zonal offices are being established, and I expect the zonal offices, the headquarters of the six zonal offices, to be launched anywhere between this month and next month, once we receive the necessary approval,” Nwabueze said.

He explained that the expansion would bring the services of the Tax Ombud closer to taxpayers, particularly those in rural communities, while facilitating faster responses to complaints arising from interactions with tax authorities.

Nwabueze also disclosed that the office was planning to establish dedicated desks within various tax authorities to ensure real-time responses to taxpayers’ complaints.

He said discussions were ongoing with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) on a partnership that would enable the office to leverage its extensive nationwide network to reach taxpayers, including those in remote communities.

On public awareness, the Tax Ombud said the office would deploy television, newspaper publications and billboard campaigns to educate Nigerians about its mandate and encourage taxpayers to seek redress when their rights were violated.

Addressing the persistent challenge of multiple taxation, he disclosed that 17 states had already joined efforts with the relevant research and development team to tackle the problem.

He, however, acknowledged that addressing multiple taxation required cooperation among state and local governments because of the different layers of revenue collection across the country.

On the office’s complaint resolution mechanism, Nwabueze attributed the relatively low number of complaints received so far largely to inadequate public awareness of its existence and mandate.

He disclosed that the office had recorded an 82 per cent complaint resolution rate, assuring that his team was committed to ensuring fairness for taxpayers across the country.

According to him, complaints are handled by the legal and operations departments through investigations, data verification, reviews of tax returns, mediation and advisory interventions.

He said the objective was to secure fair and impartial resolutions while saving taxpayers and government authorities the financial and administrative costs associated with prolonged litigation.

Nwabueze explained that the office would first explore mediation to resolve disagreements between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

However, where both parties failed to reach an acceptable settlement, he said cases could be referred to formal legal channels or the National Assembly, where appropriate.

On remedies available to taxpayers whose complaints were upheld, he said the office would seek appropriate corrective measures whenever investigations established errors in tax assessments, payments or administrative procedures.

Such interventions, he explained, could include the correction of erroneous records and other necessary steps to ensure that taxpayers were not unfairly treated.

On the timeframe for resolving complaints, Nwabueze said the priority was to ensure prompt verification of grievances and correction of identified irregularities, noting that timely interventions were necessary to restore public confidence in the tax administration system.

He added that the establishment of zonal offices and deployment of dedicated desk officers would significantly strengthen the institution’s capacity to respond to complaints and monitor interactions between taxpayers and tax authorities.

“Through collaborations with independent partner organisations and government agencies, as well as the strategic use of traditional and modern communication platforms, the Office aims to educate and empower taxpayers nationwide,” he said.

The Tax Ombud expressed satisfaction with feedback from states visited so far, reaffirming the office’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve tax administration and protect taxpayers’ rights.

He also assured media stakeholders that the engagement would continue quarterly to provide updates on the office’s activities, achievements and challenges.

Nwabueze further said cooperation with the National Assembly and other critical stakeholders had continued to strengthen support for the office’s activities and reinforce its role as a neutral mediator in tax and revenue-related disputes within the broader fiscal policy framework.