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Tag: Tax Appeal Tribunal

  • TaxADR, FIRS, & HMRC Partner to Unveil Roadmap for Tax Dispute Resolution in Nigeria

    TaxADR, FIRS, & HMRC Partner to Unveil Roadmap for Tax Dispute Resolution in Nigeria

    TaxADR, in collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC, UK), will host a pioneering two-day TaxADR Roundtable under the theme “Unlocking Revenue & Strengthening Dispute Resolution: A Roadmap to Tax ADR in Nigeria.” This hybrid event will take place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja (in-person and online) on 25–26 June 2025.

    With Nigeria’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, protracted tax disputes are hindering revenue generation and investor confidence. The recently launched National ADR Policy and harmonised tax laws present a strategic opportunity to integrate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) into the tax administration system. A structured TaxADR framework can help reduce dispute backlogs and litigation costs, bolster taxpayer trust and compliance, increase revenue efficiency, and align Nigeria with international best practices.

    Mr. Lateef O. Yusuff, Barrister & Founder of TaxADR, emphasized during a press briefing in Lagos that the Roundtable comes at a pivotal moment. With the Attorney General’s recent approval of the National ADR Policy, the nation is poised to institutionalise ADR mechanisms across key sectors. The event will advocate for a tax-specific ADR framework aligned with this policy, fostering engagement among government officials, tax administrators, business and ADR experts, international practitioners, and development partners.

    The two-day event will be structured as follows:
    Day One (25 June): Public Lecture – Free Entry

    Open to all participants, Day One will feature two keynote addresses:

    Anita Erinne, Coordinating Secretary of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, will speak on “The New Tax Reforms and the Role of ADR.”

    Fiona McRoberts, Head of Alternative Dispute Resolution at HMRC, will address “A Decade of ADR in HMRC: A Collaborative Approach to Dispute Resolution.”This public session is designed to raise awareness, deepen institutional understanding, and build consensus for ADR’s role in Nigeria’s tax ecosystem.

    Day Two (26 June): Technical Workshop – CPD Accredited (Paid Participation)
    This practitioner-focused session will offer hands-on training and peer exchange among tax officials, legal experts, ADR professionals, and policy stakeholders. The workshop is formally accredited in the UK and by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and will explore practical implementation of ADR mechanisms in dispute resolution across tax jurisdictions.

    The organisers reiterated that strengthening Nigeria’s tax system is essential to national economic recovery. Multi-sectoral cooperation and a commitment to policy innovation, investment, and job creation are vital to achieving this goal. For enquiries, pls text: 08103316644 & 09054415548

    Dignitaries expected at the Roundtable include the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of State, Finance, Executive Chairman of FIRS, amongst others. Participation is open to government officials, business leaders, tax experts, ADR practitioners, and academics.

  • Re: Tax Tribunal orders NLNG to pay $27.5m to FIRS as 2016 revised Corporate Income Tax

    Re: Tax Tribunal orders NLNG to pay $27.5m to FIRS as 2016 revised Corporate Income Tax

    Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has noted media reports suggesting that a Tax Appeal Tribunal ordered NLNG to pay $27.5 million to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as a revised Company Income Tax (CIT) settlement for 2016.

    NLNG clarifies that these reports misrepresent an out-of-court settlement that was reached amicably between the parties, without prejudice to their respective legal positions, which the Tribunal merely adopted as Consent Judgment in the appeal. The payment by NLNG was thus made in furtherance of a settlement agreement reached between the parties and not because of any order made by the Tribunal.

    NLNG remains a responsible corporate citizen, and consistently operates in compliance with Nigerian laws and will continue to operate in line with its vision of being “a globally competitive LNG company helping to build a better Nigeria.”

  • Tax Dispute: FIRS, MultiChoice Nigeria Agree to Amicable Resolution

    Tax Dispute: FIRS, MultiChoice Nigeria Agree to Amicable Resolution

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and leading pay television service provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, have agreed to an amicable resolution of their pending tax disputes which led to a series of lawsuits.

    Both parties announced the agreement in a joint press release issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

    By the broad terms of the agreement, MultiChoice shall withdraw all pending lawsuits towards an amicable resolution of the dispute. Also, as part of the agreement, the FIRS commenced a Forensic Systems Audit of MultiChoice accounts on Tuesday, 8 March 2022 to determine the tax liability of the Company.

    In April last year (2021), the FIRS issued Notices of Assessment and Demand Notices in the sum of N1.82 trillion on the Company.

    MultiChoice, which disputed the assessments, approached the Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT). This development led to a series of cases at both the TAT and the Federal High Court.

    With the agreement and the resumption of the Forensic Systems Audit, it is expected that the dispute will be resolved very soon.