The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service(LIRS) has reaffirmed the statutory deadline of January 31, 2026, for all employers of labour in the state to file their annual tax returns for the 2025 financial year.
Dr. Ayodele Subair, the Executive Chairman of LIRS, reminded employers in a statement released on Thursday that filing annual tax returns is required by the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025.
According to Subair, companies must ensure that all applicable taxes owed for the 2025 year are fully repaid and file comprehensive records on emoluments and remuneration received to their employees as well as payments made to vendors, consultants, and service providers.
He stressed that completing annual forms is a legal requirement and cautioned that noncompliance would result in statutory punishments, including administrative penalties, as outlined in the new tax law.
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Section 14 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 mandates that employers submit comprehensive yearly reports to the appropriate tax authorities detailing all employee compensation, including taxes deducted.
According to the Act, these returns have to be filed and submitted by January 31 of every year.
Subair emphasised the significance of timely and accurate filing and advised firms to view tax compliance as a fundamental business obligation.
“Employers must prioritise the timely filing of their annual income tax returns. Compliance should be part of our everyday business practice. Early and accurate filing not only ensures adherence to the law as required by the Nigerian Constitution, but also supports effective revenue tracking, which is important to Lagos State’s fiscal planning and sustainability,” he said.
He added that because manual submissions have been entirely phased out, electronic filing via the LIRS eTax platform is still the sole authorised and acceptable method of filing in Lagos State.
He claims that the transition to fully electronic filing is intended to increase efficiency and transparency while streamlining and standardising tax administration procedures throughout the state.
Employers are therefore required to submit their annual tax returns exclusively through the LIRS eTax portal at https://etax.lirs.net.
The eTax platform, according to Subair, is safe, easy to use, and available around-the-clock. It was created to give employers a practical and effective way to fulfil their tax duties.
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In order to prevent delays or interruptions, he recommended companies to make sure that every employee’s Tax Identification Number is accurately recorded during the filing process, pointing out that employees without a TaxID must quickly generate one.
The head of LIRS also advised employers to contact any of the service’s locations or use its official support channels if they needed further information or help.
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