One viral post wey dey circulate for social media don claim sey Nigerians suppose get tax identity nomba (TIN) by January 2026 if dem wan keep dia accounts or carry out any business transactions.
Di post don enta Instagram, Facebook, and oda blogs.
“Last week, I dey bank wen Mama Ngozi, di same woman wey dey sell tomatoes for Ajah Market, come withdraw moni,” na so di post tok.
“She bin wan buy bags of tomatoes for resale. But di cashier tell am sey: ‘Madam, from January 1st, 2026, you no fit operate dis account again if you no get your Tax Identification Nomba’.
“Confusion catch her. ‘Tax wetin? I no even get kompani. I just dey sell tomatoes. Na so millions of Nigerians go dey stranded for 2026 if dem no wake up.
“From January 1, 2026: No bank account without TIN (Tax Identification Number).No business operation without TIN.No access to financial services without TIN. Even your stock brokers go start dey request TIN.
“Weda you be market woman like Mama Ngozi, student, civil servant, yahoo boy, small business hustler, or even foreigner wey dey live for Nigeria, if you no get Tax ID, your financial life don lock.”
Di message don cause confusion for internet, as many Nigerians dey ask if banks go block accounts wey no get TIN from January 2026.
WETIN WE CHECK
WETIN BE TIN?
Tax identification nomba na 13-digit code wey di Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and di Joint Tax Board (JTB) dey give so dat dem go fit uniquely identify pipu and organisations wey suppose pay tax for Nigeria.
For individuals, di TIN dey linked to dia National Identification Nomba (NIN). For businesses, e dey tied to dia Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration nomba.
Di requirement for pipu wey dey pay tax to get TIN no new — di finance act 2019 bin first introduced am, before dem change di personal income tax act.
Wen any individual provide dia NIN, for example during bank account opening or know your customer (KYC) processes, di system go cross-check di NIN for di national database.
As part of dis verification, TIN go automatically comot and dem go join am wit di pesin records.
WETIN DI LAW TOK?
According to di presidential fiscal policy and tax reforms committee, di Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) tok sey taxable pipu suppose get tax identification nomba (tax ID) by January 2026.
Di panel explain sey di tax ID requirement apply to some transactions and no be new policy.
Di tax reforms committee also explain sey di law only apply to pipu or businesses wey dey earn income wey dem fit tax.
“Banks and oda financial institutions suppose request Tax ID from taxable persons. Individuals wey no dey get income and no fit pay tax no suppose get Tax ID,” na so di committee tok.
Di committee add sey existing tax identification nomba holders no suppose re-register.
“Without Tax ID, taxable pesin fit no operate bank accounts, insurance policies, pension accounts, or investment accounts. Sanctions also dey under di NTAA. Howeva, individuals wey no fit pay tax no suppose get Tax ID.”
EXPERTS CALM NIGERIANS DOWN
John Nwokolo, one tax expert, tok sey to get account no mean sey you go pay tax.
“No be sey evribodi wey get bank account suppose pay tax. If you no fit pay tax now, you no go pay. Linking your TIN wit your account na simply to build national database,” na so Nwokolo tok.
“As you no fit pay tax now, e no mean sey tomorrow you no go fit pay.”
Inside recent statement, Akpe Adoh, head of corporate informate for di Joint Tax Board, also calm Nigerians down sey dem go still access dia bank account and fit dey do financial transactions even afta January 1, 2026.
“Di JTB (comprising di 36 states Internal Revenue Service, di FCT-IRS, and di FIRS) and di FIRS dey join hand work on harmonised National Tax Identification system,” na so Adoh tok.
“Dis system go leverage di National Identification Nomba (NIN) for individuals and di Registration Nomba (RC) for businesses as unique identifiers for tax purposes.
“Dis initiative go enable di seamless and automatic generation of Tax IDS for individuals wit NIN and businesses wit RC, so dat e go dey easy for Nigerians to comply wit tax requirements without di tin affecting dia banking and/or financial activities.
“Therefore we dey beg sey make di public calm down ignore any claims wey talk di opposite.
“Again, to clear any doubt, we dey repeat sey Nigerians go fit dey access dia bank accounts and carry out financial services afta January 1, 2026, and dem no go deny anybodi access sake of sey Tax ID no dey.”
FINAL TOK
Nigerians go still get access to dia bank accounts or transactions from January 2026 even if dem no get TIN. Wit NIN, you already dey tax-compliant.
