The Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, says Pastors and Imams Taxation will apply to all religious workers who earn salaries, aligning them with globally recognised tax-compliance standards. Speaking on the internationally streamed podcast Mic On, Oyedele clarified that while places of worship remain tax-exempt institutions, the exemption does not cover individuals employed by them.
Okay News reports that Oyedele stated that workers in churches, mosques, or other faith-based organisations are subject to Pastors and Imams Taxation because they earn income like every other citizen.
According to Oyedele, Pastors and Imams Taxation follows the same global principle that tax exemptions apply to nonprofit institutions—not to salaried staff. He explained that clergy and other religious workers perform valuable services but still fall under personal income tax laws, similar to teachers, medical staff, or farmers.
He stressed that the Nigerian Constitution requires all citizens to declare earnings honestly, making Pastors and Imams Taxation a constitutional responsibility rather than a special policy. He added that other countries with large religious communities, including the United States and the United Kingdom, also apply standard income-tax rules to religious workers.
Oyedele explained that the government’s updated tax reforms, which begin in January 2026, will adjust liabilities based on earnings while maintaining the uniform approach of Pastors and Imams Taxation. Under the new structure, low-income earners will be exempt, middle-income earners will benefit from reduced rates, and high-income earners—including religious leaders whose pay crosses the threshold—will pay higher amounts.
He said the principle behind Pastors and Imams Taxation is fairness, ensuring no profession or belief system receives preferential treatment. “We cannot create a system where one group is placed above others,” he noted.
The clarification comes as part of wider national fiscal reforms aimed at broadening Nigeria’s tax base. These reforms include international agreements with over 100 countries to track income earned remotely, further reinforcing transparent compliance frameworks that also intersect with Pastors and Imams Taxation.
Speaking at a National Orientation Agency webinar titled Simplifying Nigeria’s Tax System, Oyedele highlighted that all remote workers residing in Nigeria—regardless of employer location—must declare income individually, a principle that mirrors the consistency applied in Pastors and Imams Taxation.
