The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is set to launch a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and Obligations in the coming weeks to improve awareness, promote fairness and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s tax administration.
The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive Officer of OTO, Mr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja. He said the proposed document would provide taxpayers with clearer information about their rights and responsibilities.
According to Nwabueze, the Bill would also establish the standards of fairness, transparency and accountability taxpayers should expect from tax and revenue authorities. The document will be made available through the OTO’s digital platforms and other public channels.
He said: “We believe this will strengthen taxpayer awareness, encourage voluntary compliance, prevent disputes and build greater trust across the tax ecosystem.” The initiative forms part of the OTO’s broader campaign on taxpayer rights, with the office seeking to improve the relationship between taxpayers and institutions responsible for public revenue administration.
Nwabueze described the stakeholders’ engagement as an important component of the taxpayer rights campaign. He said the OTO would work towards ensuring that Nigeria’s tax system is fair, transparent and responsive. He also identified a simplified and equitable tax system as important to building a new national consciousness and restoring public confidence in tax administration.
“This is not simply about discussing taxation and revenue. It is about strengthening the relationship between the taxpayer and the institutions responsible for administering public revenue,” he said.
The Tax Ombud said OTO had also commenced a structured public awareness and stakeholder sensitisation programme. The programme is designed to improve understanding of the office’s mandate, services and protections available to taxpayers. Nwabueze explained that effective protection of taxpayer rights depends partly on citizens knowing what those rights are. He added that taxpayers also need to understand where and how they can seek redress when they believe their rights have been affected.
The planned Bill could therefore provide a clearer framework for interactions between taxpayers and tax authorities. Greater awareness of responsibilities alongside available protections could also support voluntary compliance and reduce avoidable disputes within the tax system.
The Tax Ombud further disclosed that Nigeria’s OTO was the third institution of its kind established in Africa and the ninth globally. The development places Nigeria within a broader international movement towards modern mechanisms for protecting taxpayers and improving accountability in tax administration. The coming launch is expected to provide taxpayers with a more accessible reference point for understanding their obligations and the standards they should expect from revenue authorities.
