The Big Picture
One less line item on your phone bill is coming. President Bola Tinubu has abolished the 5% excise tax on voice and data services, a levy that has loomed over Nigeria’s 172 million subscribers since 2022. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the move is part of a wider affordability push, Techpoint Africa reports.
The Details
The tax was first announced under the Buhari administration but never fully rolled out after industry blow-back. Last week, Aminu Maida, NCC’s Executive Vice-Chair, confirmed Tinubu’s directive to strike it from the 2025 Finance Act. Operators had warned that the duty, layered on top of a 50 % tariff hike earlier this year, would “make data the new luxury item.” Gbenga Adebayo, chair of ALTON, called the repeal “a timely breather for both networks and customers,” according to Techpoint. Complementary coverage from Western Post and Ripples Nigeria notes that the NCC is also tightening service-level benchmarks so savings don’t come at the expense of quality.
Why It Matters / What They’re Saying
For households already grappling with food and fuel inflation, a lighter telecom bill is welcome. Tax professionals, however, are watching the revenue gap. “Relief today can’t become a stealth tax tomorrow,” Adebayo warned, urging vigilance against surprise levies sneaking in through the back door. For more insight on the fundamentals and wider implications of these changes, readers can check out Introduction To Nigerian Tax Laws.
Around the Tax World
• Road Credit Scheme Hits a Speed Bump: Seven years in, the tax-for-roads programme is auditing ₦3 trn worth of stalled projects after initially delivering 5,075 km, The Guardian says. Companies like NNPC and Dangote fear their hard-earned credits could go up in smoke.
• SME Lifeline in 2025 Tax Act: Turnovers under ₦50 m are now fully exempt from Companies Income Tax,a “game-changer” for micro-businesses, according to Vanguard.
• Fact-Check on 20% Income Tax Rumour: Claims that anyone earning ₦800,000 a year will face a 20 % flat tax are “simply incorrect,” the Finance Ministry told allAfrica. You should check out our calculator to confirm your tax obilgation
• Influencer vs. LIRS: TikToker Peller says a ₦36 m personal tax bill is “more than my entire net worth.” Lagos officials insist digital creators must file returns like everyone else.
Prime Number
₦2.6 trillion , total spend so far under the Road Tax Credit Scheme before projects began stalling (Guardian).
Looking Ahead
All eyes now turn to the draft regulations that will steer the Federal Inland Revenue Service’s rebrand to the Nigeria Revenue Service on 1 January 2026, rules expected to surface “in the coming weeks,” Vanguard notes.
Prepared by MyTax - mytax.com.ng