House releases certified copies of four Tax Reform Acts amid transparency concerns

The House of Representatives has released the certified copies of four landmark tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following public concerns over the circulation of conflicting and unauthorised versions of the legislations.

The move, directed by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is aimed at reinforcing transparency, restoring public confidence, and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the House Spokesman, Rep. Akintunde Rotimi, the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the laws, including the presidential assent pages, have been made available for public record, verification, and reference.

The decision followed allegations that altered and misleading versions of the tax laws were in circulation. A member of the House reportedly raised the issue on a point of privilege after identifying discrepancies, prompting the Speaker to order an immediate internal verification and public release of the authentic documents.

“The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory,” Speaker Abbas said. “Every Bill, amendment, and Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway. Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature.”

The four Acts released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025. Together, they form the core of Nigeria’s ongoing tax reform framework, aimed at modernising revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies, and strengthening fiscal coordination across all tiers of government.

The House noted that the reforms underwent extensive stakeholder consultations, committee reviews, clause-by-clause scrutiny, and robust debates before their passage. Speaker Abbas was said to have consistently emphasised fairness, clarity, and strict adherence to constitutional and parliamentary procedures throughout the process.

The Clerk to the National Assembly has also aligned the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure uniformity and accuracy, while hard copies have been distributed to lawmakers and made accessible to the public.

Meanwhile, the Ad-Hoc Committee chaired by Rt. Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara continues its investigation into how unauthorised versions of the laws entered circulation, with a mandate to recommend safeguards against future occurrences.

The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, transparency, and the rule of law, urging Nigerians to rely solely on the certified versions released by the National Assembly as the only authentic and authoritative texts of the tax reform Acts.