New – What is the Joint Revenue Board in the Tax Reform Bill

Under the Establishment section of the current tax reform process in Nigeria, the Joint Revenue Board is listed. This bill seeks to create a new board with functions and membership.

Also, as part of the Joint Revenue Board, the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the Office of Tax Ombud will be established. The tax reform committee said that this is essential for the harmonisation, coordination, and promotion of the rights of taxpayers, tax dispute resolution, and related matters. All bills in the tax reform take effect in January 2025 and include amendments to other bills like the VAT.

What is the Joint Revenue Board

• The Joint Revenue Board is an office and one of the three establishment bills under the Joint Revenue Board Bill.

This means that it will be established under a bill of the same name along with two others. It is also not an amendment to an old bill or event amendment for the JTB but a new bill with new terms

The objectives of any Revenue Board are simple. The Joint Revenue Board Bill in the Tax Reform will have a blueprint similar to most Revenue Boards around the world. Its goals would include;

Being an agency that citizens can access with ease and get appropriate responses. It will make provision for an ethical and efficient tax administration that will deliver professionalism and respect the concerns of the citizens. More so, it will make tax law compliance easy and comprehensible.

• The Bill states that it will establish a list of Management and Staff

The board would include a governor and a cabinet. The appointment of an Executive Director who will guide and manage the operations of the board rests on the cabinet. The bill rightly highlights the provision of guidance for the accreditation of tax agents which is largely the job of an Executive Director.

• Establishment of Tax Appeal Tribunal

The Tax Appeal Tribunal will no longer be governed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service which is also about to be dissolved for Nigeria Revenue Service. It will take on handling disputes between taxpayers and tax authorities. The tax reform bill states that there will be an establishment of the Tax Appeal Tribunal with jurisdiction to settle tax disputes arising from any tax laws made by NASS or the HoA of a state.

• Establishment of the Office of the Tax Ombud

The Tax Ombud office will serve as an independent and impartial arbiter. It will conduct enquiries, institute legal proceedings on behalf of a taxpayer, watchdog against any arbitrary fiscal policy. Tax Ombud may report relevant agencies to NASS or state HoA for oversight in the event of failure to implement recommendations with satisfactory reasons.