Citizenship News
In a New Year message, the management of Citizenship Media Limited has advised the Federal Government to delay the implementation of the new tax law to fully carry the citizens along, clear all doubts and allay fears over framework for the new revenue drive.
This is according to a New Year goodwill message to citizens by the Citizenship Media management signed by Dr. Saidu Abubakar, the General Manager, Administration, which expressed solidarity with Nigerians, its numerous readers and business associates on the arrival of the year 2026.
Citizenship is an online and offline media organisation committed to the defence of citizens’ rights, their obligations to the state, as well as the obligations of the state to the citizens under strict adherence to the rule of law.
The Citizenship’s New Year message said that there are palpable fears and doubts among the citizenry following the announcement for the implementation of the tax law in the New Year, which will impact private and business bank account holders in Nigeria.
Already, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the implementation of the new tax law begins irrevocably from January 1, 2026.
The Citizenship however advised the Federal Government to reconsider its position by extending the implementation date, to be able to get maximum results and cooperation without undue pressure on the citizens.
This, the Citizenship said, could portray the FG as being responsive to its citizens by clarifying all misconceptions about the tax reform.
Although a public education series by the Presidential Fiscal Policy & Tax Reforms Committee had made efforts to present some facts about the tax reform law, public skepticism however still lingers.
For instance, the committee said with regard to the fear about bank account and tax ID, that individuals’ bank account will be frozen without a Tax ID, and that the account holder will be automatically debited from January 2026, that the fact is that Tax ID (TIN) is only required for income or business accounts.
This, the committee said, is for identification and data harmonization, not automatic debit or freezing personal accounts.
It said that this provision is not new because it has existed since January 2020, adding that account holders should not panic because the Tax ID requirement is for ease of administration, not punishment, and applies primarily to business accounts.
The Citizenship Media called for increased public awareness to straighten all doubts before the take off of the tax reform law at a little later date.
