Reps Release Certified True Copies of Four Tax Reform Bills

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The House of Representatives Release Certified True Copies of Four Tax Reform Bills on Saturday night released the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the four major tax reform laws following the circulation of unauthorised and misleading versions.

The move, according to a statement is directed by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is aimed at restoring clarity, transparency, and public confidence in the legislative process.

The statement signed by Akin Rotimi, Spokesman of the House of Representatives noted that the laws, recently signed by President Bola Tinubu, were released to Nigerians for public record, verification, and reference, after allegations emerged that some versions in circulation had been altered.

According to the House, the issue came to light when a vigilant lawmaker identified discrepancies in the circulating documents and raised the matter on a point of privilege during plenary.

Following this, Speaker Abbas ordered an internal verification and the immediate release of the authentic, certified Acts.

The Speaker reaffirmed that the National Assembly operates strictly as an institution of records and procedure.

“The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway,” Abbas said.

He stressed that the integrity of laws passed by the legislature is preserved through certification and proper custody, adding:

“Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”

The four Acts released are:

• Nigeria Tax Act, 2025

• Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025

• National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025

• Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025

The House described the legislations as the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform framework, designed to modernise revenue administration, improve compliance, eliminate duplication, and strengthen fiscal coordination across the federation.

Members of the public, professionals, and institutions were advised to disregard any tax law documents not certified by the National Assembly, as such versions do not form part of the official legislative record.

To ensure uniformity and accuracy, the Clerk to the National Assembly has aligned the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press, while hard copies have been produced and circulated to lawmakers and made available to the public.

Meanwhile, an Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by Muktar Betara, continues its work to determine how the unauthorised versions emerged and to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

The House reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, transparency, and accountable governance, assuring Nigerians that it will continue to protect the integrity of the legislative process.