Nigerian lawyers have backed the Office of the Tax Ombud’s drive to promote voluntary tax compliance and increase government revenue.
This was contained in a statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the Tax Ombud, Mr Chukwudi Achife, in Abuja on Tuesday.
They made their position known during a panel discussion titled “Pay Now, Prosper Later” at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The conference is ongoing in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The panel featured the Tax Ombud and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr John Nwabueze, and other legal experts, including Ahmed Raji, SAN.
The lawyers stressed taxation’s importance as a major revenue source for infrastructure development and provision of social services.
They also emphasised on the need to strengthen taxpayer trust in tax authorities to encourage voluntary compliance and boost revenue.
Nwabueze assured participants that the office remained committed to providing taxpayers with an independent and impartial platform for resolving tax-related complaints.
He said that the office would help reduce administrative and procedural burdens while fostering trust between citizens and tax authorities.
According to him, the Tax Ombud seeks to bridge the gap between taxpayers and tax administrators.
Nwabueze said that the office would make the tax system more accessible and trusted while ensuring grievances were resolved transparently and accountably.
The CEO said that the office had received 22 complaints since opening to the public in January.
He said that 14 of the complaints had been efficiently resolved, while stakeholder engagement and public awareness efforts were ongoing.
Nwabueze said that the office was non-judicial, it provided an important avenue for early dispute resolution.
He said that the mechanism could reduce pressure on courts and other bodies responsible for tax adjudication.
Nwabueze urged Nigerians to utilise the office’s services whenever they encountered tax-related grievances.
He expressed confidence that increased public awareness would strengthen the Office’s contribution to a fairer and more transparent tax environment.
The CEO said this would ultimately promote greater trust between taxpayers and tax authorities in the country.
