The Nigerian House of Representatives has taken a significant step to calm rising public concern by releasing certified true copies of four major tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This move comes amid controversy over different versions of the tax laws circulating and claims that the versions published publicly differ from those approved by the National Assembly.
In an official statement on Saturday, the House’s spokesman confirmed that the certified copies are now available to the public so citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders can see exactly what was passed and signed into law.
“The House of Representatives has released the certified true copies of four recently enacted tax reform Acts,” the statement said, affirming that the release aims to restore trust in the legislative process and provide clarity on what constitutes the legitimate legal text.
The Speaker of the House directed internal verification of all tax law documents after concerns were raised that the versions published in the official gazette might not match the versions passed by lawmakers.
According to the House, the discrepancy allegations first came to light when a member raised a point of privilege in a plenary session, pointing out differences between competing copies in circulation.
“We have a constitutional process for enacting laws, and it is important that the public has access to the authentic texts of those laws,” the House said, stressing that the certified versions are the only authoritative references for the four Acts.
The four Acts released include:
The Nigeria Tax Act, 2025
The Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025
The National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025
The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025 ([Premium Times Nigeria][2])
The House described these laws as the foundation of Nigeria’s modern tax framework, designed to streamline revenue administration, increase compliance, eliminate inefficiencies, reduce overlap between agencies, and strengthen fiscal coordination across the federation.
In its announcement, the House emphasised the importance of legislative integrity and transparency, noting that every bill, amendment, and Act follows a documented constitutional path from debate to passage, presidential assent, and certification.
“Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature,” the House statement said, encouraging Nigerians to use the certified copies for verification and reference purposes.
Hard copies of the certified laws have been distributed to all members of the National Assembly, and digital copies are being made available for public access to ensure uniform understanding and interpretation of the tax reform statutes.
An ad-hoc committee led by a senior lawmaker has also been set up to investigate why conflicting copies emerged and how such issues can be prevented in the future, the House added.
The controversy over the tax reform laws stems from claims by some lawmakers and civil society groups that unauthorised versions of the laws were circulating before the certified copies were made public.
Opposition lawmakers had argued that some provisions included in the gazetted versions were not debated or approved by the legislature, raising constitutional concerns and calls for a possible suspension of implementation.
President Tinubu, however, maintained that the tax reforms which are among the most comprehensive changes to Nigeria’s tax system in decades, would go into effect in January 2026 as planned.
The reforms are part of a broader economic strategy to expand the tax base and increase government revenue, especially after the removal of fuel subsidies and changes to currency policy in recent years.
Despite debate and disagreement among political leaders, the release of the certified Acts is seen by many as a step toward clarifying legal uncertainty and reducing tensions over the tax law controversy.
