A growing call for a review of Nigeria’s New Tax System 2025 has followed a detailed appeal by a Certified Financial Educator and Policy Advocate, Titilayo Mercy Babajide, popularly known as Finance Queen.
In a statement, issued on November 27 through an open message on X and supported by a stamped proposal submitted to the Federal Ministry of Finance, @Finance_Queen__ challenges the tax impact on Nigerians who earn between ₦200,000 and ₦500,000 monthly.
Her message was addressed to the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, and to the Ministry of Finance.
She argued that the new structure threatens to place extra pressure on low and middle income earners unless important adjustments are made.
In her message, she wrote that Nigerians earning ₦500,000 and below need urgent relief under the new policy.
The post has attracted attention because it mirrors complaints from workers dealing with rising prices and income that has not changed in years.
Her proposal listed several challenges facing this income group. She noted that while wages remain the same, the cost of living has gone up sharply. Current reports show that annual rent in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt now ranges from about ₦600,000 to ₦2 million. This figure is higher than the ₦500,000 ceiling used in the new tax model to calculate rent relief. She added that many people in this bracket rely on loans or roll over debts to meet daily needs.
She also pointed to national figures showing that household debt rose to about ₦38.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, while youth unemployment stands at 53 percent. According to her, nearly one in four homes still depends on support from extended family. With dependents making up almost half of the population, she said the burden on working Nigerians is already heavy.
A major issue in her submission is the size of the tax expected from this group.
Her breakdown showed that a worker earning ₦200,000 monthly could pay about ₦84,000 yearly, while someone earning ₦500,000 could pay up to ₦537,000. She stressed that such figures are too high for families struggling with food prices, transport, electricity bills and other essentials.
She reminded officials that taxation is tied to the social contract and that the Constitution places the welfare of citizens at the centre of government duty. She warned that any tax plan that consumes a large part of a worker’s disposable income could weaken compliance and public trust.
Her recommendations include raising the income threshold used to calculate tax, adjusting reliefs to reflect inflation, expanding the tax bands upward, and reducing the second band rate from 15 percent to 12 percent to support lower earners. She also advised that dependent reliefs should be reviewed to match the country’s high dependency ratio.
Finance Queen said her intention is not to weaken reforms but to ensure fairness. She added that an effective tax system must balance government revenue with the realities of ordinary Nigerians.
She noted that her submission is in the public interest and expressed confidence in the Ministry’s commitment to fair and inclusive reform. She also stated her readiness to engage further with the authorities.
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