Taxes and Income Inequality in Nigeria: 1980 – 2020

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between taxes and income inequality in Nigeria from 1980 to 2020. The specific objectives were to investigate the relationship between personal income tax and Gini coefficient, evaluate the relationship between company’s income tax and Gini coefficient, assess the relationship between petroleum profit tax and Gini coefficient, determine the relationship between capital gain tax and Gini coefficient, investigate the relationship between value added tax and Gini coefficient, evaluate the relationship between custom and excise duty and Gini coefficient from 1980 to 2020 in Nigeria. The study adopted ex post facto and correlational research design. The population of the study consisted of taxes and gini coefficient in Nigeria from 1980 to 2020. The secondary data were sourced from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of various publications ranging from 1980 to 2020. The study used univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis. The results revealed a positive and insignificant relationship between personal income tax company’s income tax (CIT), petroleum profit tax (PPT), capital gain tax (CGT), value added tax (VAT), custom excise duties (CED) and Gini coefficient for the period under study, while strong positive relationship when literacy rate moderate tax structure, and weak positive and insignificant relationship. On the basis of the findings, the study concluded that taxes such as personal income tax, company income tax, petroleum profit tax, capital gain tax, value added tax and customs and excise duties influence the level of income inequality in Nigeria. The study recommends, amongst other things, that the government should ensure compliance to tax payments, because taxes provide a powerful policy tool effectively used for curing economic and social ills and should not to be set too high, as this would discourage investments.