Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has urged every eligible Nigerian, individuals and employers alike to file their annual tax returns by March 31, 2026, under the law.
Making the appeal during a webinar organised for HR managers, payroll officers, CFOs and tax professionals in partnership with the Joint Revenue Board, Oyedele said compliance remains “alarmingly low” among taxpayers across the country.
He reminded employers of their obligations first: “In terms of filing returns, you need to file annual returns as employers for your employees. Many of you must have done that already. If you haven’t, you have just a couple of days left to file those returns, including projections of how much you will pay your staff.”
Oyedele also pointed to widespread failure among individual taxpayers to submit self-assessment returns: “This is one area where we have been non-compliant in Nigeria. In many states, more than 90% — even the most sophisticated states — cannot boast of 5% filing returns.”
Responding to a common misconception, he stressed that personal tax duties don’t end with employer deductions:
“Many people assume that if they are an employee and the employer has deducted pay, they don’t have to do anything. That is wrong. Both under the old and new tax laws, you must still file your returns.”
To ease compliance, Oyedele said authorities are working to make filing processes simpler and more accessible:
“I’m sure the tax authorities, joint revenue boards, and various state internal revenue services are working on how to make this process simpler and easier. All of us must file our returns, including those earning low income.”
He added that companies benefiting from tax incentives are now required to formally disclose those incentives when filing:
“Under the new tax law … you have the obligation to disclose those incentives.”
