Which set of citizens earn below N800k a year? Man questions new tax law

• A Nigerian man has asked several questions about the tax policy set to be implemented in 2026
• He said that no one is exempt from the tax after a calculation that showed that most Nigerians earn above ₦800,000 annually
• He also questioned why he should pay tax when, according to him, he does not benefit from the government

A Nigerian man has raised questions that have left many Nigerians debating the new tax law introduced by President Bola Tinubu.

The man identified as Zander Valkyrie asked a question many did not see coming about the tax law set to be implemented in 2026.

“Let me ask you this and answer me honestly: which set of citizens in Nigeria earn below ₦800k a year? The minimum wage is ₦77k and ₦77k x 12 = ₦924,000, so who exactly are the people exempt from the tax?” he asked.

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Nigerian man queries tax law

His question was in response to @layo_blac, a lady on X, who shared slides from Kuda explaining the new tax law. See full tweet below:

“Kuda broke down the new tax law in four slides. If you actually read it, you’ll see there’s no need to panic. But let’s talk: which part is still confusing you? Reply, I’ll explain,” she wrote.

Part of the shared slides explained the reason for the tax implementation.

“In simple terms, the government is doing a massive cleaning of the tax system. For too long, the tax system has been messy, with duplicated taxes and confusing regulations, making it hard for taxpayers to understand what they need to do. This reform reorganises the entire tax system to make life easier for everyone,” the slide read.

Another slide stated:

“The reform has clear goals: make taxation simpler. You won’t need expert knowledge of tax law to understand your taxes. Make taxation fairer so that the right people pay the right amount. Widen the tax base so that more people pay taxes, reducing the burden on individuals. Go fully digital to make tax compliance less about paper and queues, and more about structure and convenience.”

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A puzzled Valkyrie responded:

“Why should I pay a part of my income to govt when I benefit nothing?… I’m tired of these people. They don’t care about the welfare of the poor, they just want to loot and we will definitely resist this.”

When @layo_blac failed to respond, other X users began accusing her of receiving money for explaining the tax policy.

@jonas_iyke said: “Lol, she will never answer this question. And mind you, na paid gig, so you dey waste your time asking.”

Another user argued that it could not have been a paid engagement since she was only reposting information from Kuda. @IamUnchartered wrote:

“She reposted what @joinkuda said. How is that her fault? Or it’s Kuda that is doing paid gig? Firstly, ‘I benefit nothing’ is just rhetoric that can never be true as long as you stay within the country. Secondly, if taxing was all about personal benefits, rich people shouldn’t pay. Lastly, paying an annual tax of ₦12,400 on ₦924,000 looks very fair to me.”

New tax law explained

We earlier reported Nigerians’ reactions to the new tax law. Nigerians like Loveson Anselm, an award-winning essayist, are beginning to ramp up financial literacy efforts and publish explainers to help the public better understand the policy.

Legit.ng also reported that as the implementation date draws nearer, the debate around Nigeria’s new tax law has become a battle between truths and lies