Let me explain one thing the new tax law quietly changes and why it matters more than tax rates.
Most conversations around the new tax law focus on:
• who pays more
• who pays less
• exemptions
• minimum wage
• VAT, CGT, WHT
But one of the most important changes is procedural, not numerical.
The law significantly strengthens presumptive and estimated assessments, and most people don’t understand what that means.
Under the new framework, tax is no longer determined only by what you declare.
It can now be determined by what the tax authority believes is reasonable, based on available data.
This includes:
• bank inflows
• third-party information
• lifestyle indicators
• transaction volumes
• industry benchmarks
If your records are incomplete, inconsistent, or unclear, the law allows the tax authority to estimate your income.
And here is the dangerous part:
Once an estimated assessment is raised, the burden shifts to YOU to prove it is wrong.
Not the taxman.
You. You are guilty until proven innocent.
Saying “I didn’t earn that much” is not evidence.
Saying “check my bank statement” is not enough.
Saying “it was a gift” without documentation carries no weight.
In tax law, explanations are not proof.
Only records are.
This is why the new tax regime feels unsettling to many people, even where headline tax rates appear lower. The system has moved from:
“Tell us what you earned.”
to
“Show us why our assumption is wrong.”
That is a fundamental shift.
It also explains why:
• mixed personal and business accounts are now dangerous
• undocumented cash movements attract attention
• FX conversions without traceable trails raise questions
• relying on memory is no longer safe
Another misconception is that estimated assessments only apply to “big companies.”
They don’t.
They apply most aggressively to:
• professionals
• freelancers
• consultants
• traders
• agents
• SMEs
• anyone with visible inflows but weak structure
In fact, large companies with strong documentation are the least affected.
The people most exposed are those who earn legitimately but cannot clearly explain money movement over time.
This is also why the new law puts so much emphasis on:
• record keeping
• reporting obligations
• third-party disclosures
• cooperation with information requests
The system assumes you are crook then tells you to prove you are not.
Under the new tax law, you can be honest, compliant in spirit, and still lose if your documentation is weak.
Tax survival in this era is not about cleverness or avoidance.
It is about structure.
The people who will navigate this system successfully are not those who argue best, but those who prepared quietly before questions were asked.
That is the real lesson of Nigeria’s new tax posture.
And it is the part that very few people are preparing for.
@muslimsconnect0 MSSN is bida'h. Every other form of society in the name of Islam is bida'h,any person that support MSSN is 'dool-Mudil' do not listen to them. The only name Allah and his messenger (SAW) recognize is Ahlu-Sunnah wal-jammah(Salaf)pls be guided!
The Nigerian Bar Association has formally notified the Nigeria Police Force of the pendency of Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 challenging the legality of the tinted permit policy. The NBA has demanded an immediate abatement of all acts in disregard of the court and has further resolved, through NBA-SPIDEL, to proceed with contempt and disciplinary proceedings against any erring officers.
The rule of law must prevail!
This is a pretty solid argument.
Head or tail, the increase of passport fee by over 100% is ill timed and ill advised.
Sometimes the governments act as if it’s disconnected from the people.
How much more revenue will passport sale generate that we cannot forgo and look elsewhere for revenue ?
It doesn’t make sense.
@enisullyman Barr.Kunle Sulyman @Babatheyouth as we fondly call him😁 handsome, knowledgeable,full of wisdom and an OG. I Love Love the man. May Allah Continue to bless him. The resemblance is very striking gon nio!
@channelstv These people are so foolish, the school does not belong to any of you. The owner of the school renamed his school and you're whining! You better go sly