FACT CHECK: Are Muslims exempted from tax payment as claimed by Ezekiel Dachomo?
FACT CHECK: Are Muslims exempted from tax payment as claimed by Ezekiel Dachomo?
Ezekiel Dachomo, the Plateau-based cleric, claims that the new tax laws would apply only to Christians.
Dachomo spoke during a podcast by Lucky Udu Experience.
He said under the new tax reforms, Christians — not “Islamic people” — would pay taxes.
“They are saying next year, they will start paying tax. I told my fellow Christians, ‘this tax, we are the one to be paying it’. But as far as Islamic people is concerned, they will never pay that tax. They are not paying that tax,” he said.
THE TAX REFORMS
On September 9, the federal government gazetted Nigeria’s new tax reform laws, with implementation set to begin on January 1, 2026.
The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025 (NTAA), the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 (NRSEA), and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025 (JRBEA).
On October 4, Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee, said every Nigerian who earns an income has a responsibility to declare it.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, influencers, and public analysts on the new tax laws, Oyedele said the obligation to “self-declare” income has always existed in law and is not a fresh imposition.
“Sex workers, agberos, you know what I said is, everybody has the responsibility to self-declare. That is the first obligation in the law,” he said.
However, the law does exempt certain types of tax payment, including Nigerians earning below N250,000 or less per month.
A comprehensive list of exemptions and reliefs targeting low-income earners, average taxpayers, and small businesses can be seen here.
However, the exemptions do not provide any tax relief based on religious affiliation.
VERDICT
There is no evidence to support Dachomo’s claim, as existing laws do not exempt Muslims from paying taxes.
Under the new tax reforms, all taxable individuals and companies are legally required to pay taxes.
