The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has dispelled circulating misinformation about tax identification requirements, confirming that Nigerians will not need physical tax ID cards.
Speaking in a sensitisation video released on Monday, Aderonke Atoyebi, technical assistant on broadcast media to the FIRS executive chairman, emphasized that existing identification numbers will function as tax IDs under the Nigerian Tax Administration Act (NTAA).
The clarification comes as part of the agency’s public awareness campaign ahead of the tax reform laws’ implementation in January.
Atoyebi explained that the tax ID system consolidates previous identifiers issued by FIRS and state internal revenue services into one unified system. For individual Nigerians, the National Identification Number (NIN) automatically doubles as a tax ID, while registered companies will use their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration numbers.
“You do not need a physical card. Please, enough of the rumors. The tax ID is a unique number linked directly to your identity,” Atoyebi stated.
She added that the streamlined system aims to simplify taxpayer identification, eliminate duplication, prevent tax evasion, and ensure equitable contributions from those earning taxable income, while safeguarding low-income citizens who fall below the tax threshold.
The FIRS official noted that tax ID requirements are not new, having been established under the Finance Act 2019, with the NTAA merely strengthening existing provisions.
Her statement follows directives from commercial banks requiring customers to link their accounts to either NINs or Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) before 2026 to comply with incoming tax regulations.
In June, President Bola Tinubu signed four comprehensive tax reform bills into law: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
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