The Benue State Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, has ordered the withdrawal of all its personnel from produce inspection points across the state, effective 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2025, in preparation for the implementation of the Nigeria Tax Laws 2025.
The directive followed an emergency meeting between the Executive Chairman of BIRS, management, zonal tax officers and area tax officers held on December 30, 2025.
According to the internal memo, the meeting “resolved that all produce inspection points are abolished inline with the Nigeria Tax Laws, 2025.”
BIRS explained that the new tax laws, passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, will take effect from January 1, 2026.
The laws prohibit tax authorities and other bodies from mounting roadblocks for revenue collection.
The memo further stated that “all persons including a relevant tax authority, associations, unions, groups or body of persons known or unknown to the law are precluded from mounting road blocks in any part of the state for the purpose of collecting any tax or levy.”
Clarifying what constitutes a roadblock, the document noted that roadblock means “obstruction of free flow of traffic by placing barriers, barricades or any objects that impede vehicular movement for the purpose of extracting monies under the guise of collecting taxes or levies.”
Consequently, BIRS directed that “all BIRS staff posted to all produce inspection points be withdrawn with effect from 31st December, 2025; time 11:59pm.”
BIRS advised that “all affected officers are kindly advised to comply with the above directives,” while urging members of the general public to take note of the development as the state moves to fully implement the Nigeria Tax Laws 2025.
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