Tax Reforms: AKIRS set for implementation 

•Newly developed state-of-the-art Digital Center AKIRS, in preparation for the implementation of new Tax Acts, from January 1, 2026

Following series of training of its staff, the Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service, (AKIRS) is set for the implementation of the new Tax Reforms Acts. The intensive capacity building which is for board members and management staff of the agency was designed to expose them to the rudiments and essential amendments in the new Act, including clause by clause consideration of relevant sections of the law.

In collaboration with the State Ministry of Information, comprehensive sensitization programmes and strategies are also underway to adequately educate or enlighten tax payers and the general public on the contents and implications of the new Tax Reforms Acts.

In addition, there has also been massive investment in technology and automation of processes by the Board. A state-of-the-art digital centre has also been developed at the Revenue House, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo in preparation for the reforms. The facility houses the new and bespoke tax management system which is capable of integrating with the Joint Tax Board technology platform as required by the new Tax Administration Act, 2025 and also with the State’s Akwa-GIS and AkwaRemit/Treasury Single Account platform.

Also, to create a work-friendly ambience that enhances staff output and customer comfort, the Revenue House has been re-organised and fitted with modern fittings as well as a waiting arena for vehicle registration customers in addition to the general facelift of the Corporate Headquarters.

Rising from its 17th Board meeting held last week in Uyo, the Executive Chairman, Mr. Okon Okon stated that the Board has adopted the new Tax Reforms Acts and was upbeat about its implementation come January 1, 2026. This, he said, informed the investment in series of trainings and infrastructural transformation.

“We are set for the implementation. By virtue of the new Acts and the closeness to the January 2026 deadline, our managers must have firsthand and deep knowledge of the new Acts, to be able to pass correct and relevant messages to the public. As tax managers, we therefore must have a good working knowledge of the new Acts and be able to run with same”, the Board Chairman said. Sir Okon, a Fellow and Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and also Member of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms in Nigeria, noted that the automation of tax processes was “to improve system efficiency and in sync with the national technology platforms”.

At the national level, the Joint Tax Board (JTB), the umbrella body for tax administration in the country is also organizing streams of retreats and workshops for Executive Chairmen and Directors of tax authorities across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.

In a related development, the Federal Government on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 officially published the long-anticipated gazetted tax reforms laws, signaling a major step in overhauling the country’s fiscal framework. The New Tax Reforms Acts, comprising the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, was signed into law on June 26, 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.