Tax Ombud partners NIPOST to improve rural complaints resolution

File: The Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze.

The Office of the Tax Ombud has commenced moves to make tax complaint and dispute resolution services more accessible to market traders and rural taxpayers through a proposed partnership with the Nigerian Postal Service.

The Tax Ombudsman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Nwabueze, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting held on Friday, explaining that the collaboration would help taxpayers in underserved communities seek redress over administrative and procedural grievances.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the office and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Tax Ombudsman, Chukwudi Achife, Nwabueze said arrangements were nearing completion to formalise the partnership.

The statement said, “Dr Nwabueze said the Office was on the verge of formalising the collaboration with NIPOST to make it easier for market traders and taxpayers in rural areas to access its complaint-handling and resolution services.”

The proposed arrangement is expected to extend access to complaint services beyond taxpayers who can readily reach government offices, although the statement did not specify when the partnership would commence or how complaints would be submitted through NIPOST.

Nwabueze explained that the initiative formed part of broader efforts to promote fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration while encouraging voluntary compliance.

He described the Tax Ombud as an independent, impartial and non-judicial institution responsible for addressing operational, procedural and administrative grievances arising from tax and revenue administration.

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

The Tax Ombud maintained that a predictable tax system was essential to improving investor confidence, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and strengthening relationships between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

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He, however, clarified that the office was not empowered to cancel legitimate tax obligations or encourage individuals and businesses to evade their responsibilities.

“We do not make tax policy. We do not encourage non-compliance, shield taxpayers from their lawful obligations, or perform the functions of the courts. Our role is to facilitate the fair and impartial resolution of eligible complaints within our statutory mandate,” Nwabueze stated.

He explained that the office would continue working with stakeholders to address administrative inefficiencies, inadequate transparency and weaknesses in existing grievance-redress mechanisms.

“Our collective objective must be to move from disputes to solutions, from administrative friction to constructive engagement, and from distrust to confidence. We look forward to continued dialogue with stakeholders to build a fair, transparent, and taxpayer-friendly revenue system,” he added.

Nwabueze also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the office to provide an independent mechanism through which taxpayers could seek redress without fear, while acknowledging the contributions of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and other stakeholders.

At the meeting, representatives of Abuja market associations, the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture expressed support for ongoing tax administration reforms.

Representatives of road transport unions and airline operators also participated in the discussions.

The stakeholders called for simpler administrative procedures, clearer tax assessment criteria and more effective complaint-resolution channels to reduce disputes and improve voluntary compliance.

The Office of the Tax Ombud reiterated that its intervention would seek to protect taxpayers’ rights without undermining the lawful powers of revenue authorities, adding that continued engagement with businesses and professional associations would help identify recurring problems in tax administration.