Six months after its restructuring, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) says its reforms are beginning to deliver measurable improvements in tax administration, driven by automation, transparency and enhanced taxpayer services.
A review of the agency’s six-month performance by the Finance and Business Online Publishers Association (FiBOP) indicated progress in revenue collection, digital transformation and taxpayer engagement, as the Service seeks to address long-standing challenges such as revenue leakages, low tax compliance, multiple taxation and inefficient manual processes.
According to the report, the NRS has expanded the nation’s tax base by integrating data from banks, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigeria Customs Service, leading to a 23 per cent increase in registered taxpayers. The agency also reported a reduction in revenue leakages across priority sectors.
Central to the reforms is the introduction of REV360, a digital tax administration platform that integrates taxpayer registration, filing, payment, verification and dispute resolution into a single system. The platform, described by the Service as “Tax Administration 3.0,” is designed to simplify tax compliance through end-to-end automation, real-time reporting and seamless integration with taxpayers’ operational systems.
The NRS said REV360 builds on the earlier TaxPro Max platform by providing a more intelligent and integrated solution that aligns with global best practices while improving processing speed, compliance and decision-making.
The agency disclosed that about 68 per cent of tax filings are now completed online through the new platform, with the average processing time reduced from seven days to 48 hours.
The Service also reported improvements in taxpayer support, including the establishment of 12 new taxpayer service centres, nationwide Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) education clinics and assistance to more than 400,000 taxpayers. Complaint resolution time has also fallen by 40 per cent.
As part of efforts to improve integrity and accountability, the NRS said staff retraining, a whistleblower portal and a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct have contributed to a 92 per cent decline in reported cases of harassment and extortion at tax offices.
The agency further strengthened collaboration by signing data-sharing memoranda of understanding with 20 state Internal Revenue Services and key federal agencies to facilitate joint audits and reduce cases of multiple taxation.
Speaking on the reforms, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the government’s tax reform agenda is focused on widening the tax net rather than increasing tax rates.
Speaking recently at the 14th Annual CEOs Forum of BusinessDay, Oyedele revealed that the reforms had encouraged more businesses in the informal sector to formalise their operations, noting that the Corporate Affairs Commission now records more than 10,000 business registration applications daily.
He explained that the reforms were deliberately designed to simplify business registration, reduce compliance costs and encourage informal businesses to enter the formal economy.
According to the minister, the government’s revenue mobilisation strategy seeks to eliminate multiple taxation, leverage technology and make tax compliance easier for businesses rather than impose higher tax burdens.
The Nigeria Revenue Service maintained that its objective is to build a fair, transparent and efficient tax system capable of supporting national development through improved funding for infrastructure, healthcare, education and security.
While acknowledging that challenges remain, particularly in the informal sector and public perception of taxation, the Service said its next phase of reforms would focus on expanding SME support, accelerating tax refunds and improving transparency in the utilisation of public revenue.
Oyedele added that Nigeria had largely completed the difficult task of restoring macroeconomic stability and must now convert that stability into investment, productivity, job creation and improved living standards for citizens.
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