Nigeria Tax Act 2025: Complete Guide to the New Tax Law
Everything you need to know about Nigeria's new tax law: the tax brackets, who's exempt, rent relief, and how it affects your salary. Use our tax calculator to see your exact take-home pay.
The Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA 2025) represents the most significant overhaul of Nigeria's tax system in decades. Signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 26, 2025, and effective from January 1, 2026, this new law consolidates multiple tax legislations into a single, unified statute.
If you're wondering how your salary will be affected, we've built a free tax calculator that shows you exactly how much you'll keep and how much goes to tax.
What is the NTA 2025?
The Nigeria Tax Act 2025 consolidates several existing tax laws into one comprehensive framework:
Personal Income Tax Act (PITA)
Companies Income Tax Act (CITA)
Petroleum Profits Tax Act (PPTA)
Value Added Tax Act (VAT)
Capital Gains Tax Act (CGT)
The goal is to simplify compliance, broaden the tax base, and make the system fairer for everyone, especially low-income earners.
The New Tax Brackets
Under the NTA 2025, personal income tax follows a progressive structure with six brackets:
Important: These rates apply to your taxable income after deductions like pension and rent relief.
Who Doesn't Pay Tax?
The biggest news for everyday Nigerians: if you earn ₦800,000 or less per year (about ₦67,000 per month), you pay zero income tax.
This ₦800k threshold is a complete exemption, not just a deduction. It's designed to protect low-income workers from the tax burden.
Note on minimum wage: The current minimum wage is ₦70,000/month (₦840,000/year). This means minimum wage earners will pay a small amount of tax (about ₦6,000 per year or ₦500 per month) on the ₦40,000 above the threshold.
What Changed from the Old System?
Consolidated Relief Allowance (CRA): ABOLISHED
Under the old Personal Income Tax Act, you could claim a CRA of:
₦200,000 fixed, plus
20% of your gross income
This has been completely removed. Instead, the new ₦800k tax-free threshold provides relief for lower earners, while higher earners face slightly simplified (but potentially higher) rates.
Example: If you pay ₦1,200,000 in rent per year, your relief is ₦240,000 (20% × ₦1.2M). This amount is subtracted from your taxable income before tax is calculated.
Pension Contributions: Still Tax-Free
Pension contributions remain tax-deferred:
Standard contribution: 8% of your salary
This amount is deducted from your taxable income
You only pay tax on it when you withdraw after retirement
Will I Pay More or Less Tax?
For most Nigerians, the answer is less or nothing at all. Here's how different income levels are affected: