The Office of the Tax Ombud has begun moves to partner with the Nigerian Postal Service to make tax complaint and dispute resolution services accessible to market traders and rural taxpayers in underserved communities. Dr John Nwabueze, the Tax Ombudsman and Chief Executive Officer, disclosed this at a stakeholders' town hall meeting on Friday, saying arrangements were nearing completion to formalise the partnership. According to a statement issued by the office on Sunday and signed by Chief Press Secretary Chukwudi Achife, the collaboration would help taxpayers in remote areas seek redress over administrative and procedural grievances without having to travel to government offices.
Nwabueze described the Tax Ombud as an independent, impartial and non-judicial institution responsible for addressing operational, procedural and administrative grievances arising from tax and revenue administration. He emphasised that the office's services, which are offered free of charge, are designed to resolve disputes, mediate complaints and promote a transparent, fair and consistent tax administration system. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to promote fairness, transparency and accountability in tax administration while encouraging voluntary compliance.
The Tax Ombud maintained that a predictable tax system was essential to improving investor confidence, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and strengthening relationships between taxpayers and revenue authorities. However, Nwabueze clarified that the office was not empowered to cancel legitimate tax obligations or encourage individuals and businesses to evade their responsibilities. He stated that the office would continue working with stakeholders to address administrative inefficiencies, inadequate transparency and weaknesses in existing grievance-redress mechanisms.
At the town hall meeting, representatives of Abuja market associations, the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture expressed support for ongoing tax administration reforms. Representatives of road transport unions and airline operators also participated. The stakeholders called for simpler administrative procedures, clearer tax assessment criteria and more effective complaint-resolution channels to reduce disputes and improve voluntary compliance.
Nwabueze commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the office to provide an independent mechanism through which taxpayers could seek redress without fear, while acknowledging the contributions of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and other stakeholders. The office reiterated that its intervention would seek to protect taxpayers' rights without undermining the lawful powers of revenue authorities, adding that continued engagement with businesses and professional associations would help identify recurring problems in tax administration.
For rural market traders and small businesses in remote areas, the partnership could make it easier to lodge complaints about tax disputes without travelling to distant government offices, potentially reducing administrative friction in the tax system.