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The newly established Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) will safeguard the rights of women and other taxpayers while curbing harassment in Nigeria’s tax system, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Dr. Taiwo Oyedele, has said. Oyedele noted that women play a pivotal role in sustaining families, supporting communities, and driving national economic growth. “They dominate the small business space and the informal sector, including small-scale exports, and contribute significantly to GDP and employment,” he said. He stated this during an engagement session with Women in Business (WIMBIZ), which he shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. The session, themed “From market stalls to boardrooms, women power our economy. Now the tax system is designed to work for them too,” focused on gender inclusion and tax equity. Oyedele, however, lamented that despite their critical economic contributions, women often bear a disproportionate burden of multiple taxation, overregulation, extortion, and harassment by unprofessional tax officials and non-state actors. He revealed that the new tax laws, which take effect in January 2026, are designed to address these challenges directly. “The reforms introduce exemptions from Corporate Income Tax, VAT, Withholding Tax, and PAYE for small businesses and their low-income employees,” he explained. “Larger enterprises will also benefit from harmonisation, lower overall tax burden, expanded input VAT credits, and economic development incentives, all of which will reduce production costs, improve profitability, and stimulate growth.” Oyedele added that the Office of the Tax Ombud will play a key role in ensuring accountability and fairness, providing redress for taxpayers, and protecting them from abuse or harassment.
