Taiwo Oyedele, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, says 90 per cent of tax consultants in Nigeria are neck deep in “selling tax evasion”. 

Mr Oyedele, who is championing sensitisation for the new tax law, made the assertion in a viral video.

“We have a lot of tax consultants. Maybe tens of thousands of tax consultants – lawyers, accountants, tax practitioners. 

“That’s what they do for a living. The vast majority of them, 90 per cent of them, are selling tax evasion for a living,” Mr Oyedele said.

The tax czar lamented how tax consultants allegedly bribe their way through, creating false reports to help taxpayers evade their fair share of taxes. 

Tax consultants, Mr Oyedele alleged, “go to a company, the tax they are supposed to pay is N10 million, you say nobody pays N10 million”. 

He added, “You cook the books so that they can pay N1 million. Pay a bribe to the tax  man and keep the rest to yourself and move on to the next client.”

The tax czar stated that, although corrupt Nigerian politicians are part of the problem, tax consultants also pose a problem, as the country cannot improve with their involvement in criminal activities.

Mr Oyedele said, “How can the country be better like that? We know politicians have their own problems. But we have to solve these problems together. 

“We have now a new rule. For you to represent anybody as a tax consultant, you must pass: one, a competency test. Two, an integrity test. Three, compliance. You cannot give what you don’t have.”