The Federal Government has issued implementation guidelines for the transition from the repealed tax laws to the new Tax Acts 2025, which take effect from January 1, 2026.
The guidelines were announced in a statement issued by the Director of Press Relations, Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
The document provides direction for taxpayers, tax practitioners, revenue authorities and other stakeholders on how to manage issues arising from the shift from the previous tax regime to the new framework.
The guidelines clarify how tax liabilities, assessments, audits, investigations, disputes, enforcement actions, incentives and exemptions will be handled during the transition period.
What they are saying
The Federal Government said the guidelines are designed to provide clarity on the application of the Tax Acts 2025 and ensure that the new laws are not applied retrospectively.
- “Tax liabilities, assessments, audits, investigations, disputes and enforcement actions relating to periods before that date will be treated under the repealed tax laws.”
- “Tax returns relating to accounting periods ending before January 1, 2026, will be filed under the previous tax laws, while returns relating to accounting periods ending from January 1, 2026, onward will be administered under the new tax framework.”
Existing tax incentives and exemptions granted under the repealed laws will remain valid until their expiration dates, while new applications and pending requests will be considered under the Tax Acts 2025.
The government said the guidelines cover income taxes, transaction taxes, development levies, tax incentives, exemptions, record-keeping obligations and transactions that span both the old and new tax regimes.
More insight
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the guidelines provide a framework for managing transitional issues while ensuring fairness and administrative certainty.
- Oyedele described the Tax Acts 2025 as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s tax reform programme.
- He said the guidelines are built around three principles: clarity, fairness and administrative certainty.
- The minister said the framework would support uniform implementation across the Nigeria Revenue Service, State Internal Revenue Services, the FCT Internal Revenue Service, Local Government Revenue Committees, tax practitioners and taxpayers.
- The government said the reforms are aimed at building a transparent, efficient and modern tax system that supports economic growth and improves revenue administration.
The Federal Government added that the guidelines will help encourage voluntary compliance and improve Nigeria’s investment climate by providing clearer rules for taxpayers and administrators.
What you should know
President Bola Tinubu signed four tax reform bills into law in June 2025 as part of efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
- The signed laws include the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
- The National Assembly passed the bills after months of consultations with stakeholders and interest groups.
- The Executive Chairman of the National Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, announced that the four tax reform laws would commence on January 1, 2026.
The Federal Government said the transition guidelines will provide a structured approach for implementing the new tax framework while protecting existing obligations under the previous laws
