Constant increase in the inflation rate – Nigeria’s CPI August 2020 Report

The latest CPI and Inflation Report released by the National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that inflation increased by 13.22% (Year-on-Year) in August 2020. This is 0.40% points higher than the rate recorded in July 2020 (12.82%).

It’s is not so surprising that the consumer price index (CPI) in Nigeria rose to its highest in over 3 years in the previous month (August 2020). The increase in the price of food is said to be the major reason in this hike.

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TAT’s Decisions on VAT on Real Property Leases – Some Clarifications

As you are aware, on Tuesday, 10th September 2020, the Tax Appeal Tribunal sitting in Lagos State, Nigeria (TAT) delivered Judgement in  Appeal No. TAT/LZ/VAT/029/2019: Ess-Ay Holdings Limited v. Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) (available at: https://taxaide.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Judgement-Ess-ay-Holdings-Ltd-v.-FIRS.pdf)

Issues to be determined:

  1. Whether rental income from real property is subject to Value Added Tax (VAT) under Nigeria’s VAT Act, 1993 (as last amended in 2007)?;
  2. Whether the provisions of the FIRS Information Circular No. 9701 dated 1st January 1997 which exempted only rents from residential properties (and not commercial properties) is valid?
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