NRS Announces Deadline for Large Taxpayers to Comply with New Tax Rule
- The Nigeria Revenue Service directed all large taxpayers to fully adopt the national e-invoicing system by July 31, 2026
- NRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji signed a public notice warning that non-compliant companies face regulatory and enforcement action under tax laws
- Over 1,000 companies with annual turnovers of N5bn and above had already complied with the e-invoicing mandate as of Q1 2026
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has ordered all large taxpayers to complete their adoption of the national e-invoicing and Electronic Fiscal System by July 31, 2026, with sanctions threatened against any company that fails to meet the deadline.
The directive came through a public notice personally signed by NRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji and was communicated to the public on Sunday in a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, the Special Adviser on Media to the NRS Chairman.
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The July 31 cutoff builds on an earlier public notice the NRS issued on February 17, 2026, which set out the implementation timeline and made it compulsory for large taxpayers to adopt the system, also known as the Merchant Buyer Solution.
What Large Taxpayers Must Do
Adedeji's notice requires affected companies to complete onboarding, system integration, and testing, then begin transmitting invoices to the NRS e-invoicing platform in line with the agency's approved framework.
For the directive, large taxpayers are defined as companies with an annual gross turnover of N5 billion and above. Compliance goes beyond simply registering on the Merchant Buyer Solution platform.
Companies must integrate their internal systems through approved Access Point Providers or Systems Integrators, complete all validation and testing requirements, and actively transmit invoices to the NRS platform.
Compliant taxpayers are also expected to receive only electronic invoices that carry valid Invoice Reference Numbers from their suppliers.
As of the first quarter of 2026, more than 1,000 companies had already met the requirements.
Monitoring Already Under Way
The NRS said it had begun assessing how well affected companies were adhering to the mandate ahead of the deadline.
The public notice read:
"NRS has already commenced compliance monitoring activities to assess the level of adherence to the e-invoicing mandate among large taxpayers."
It warned that companies which fall short could face consequences:
"Consequently, any defaulting member may be subjected to appropriate regulatory and enforcement actions in accordance with the provisions of the relevant tax laws and regulations."
The agency urged companies yet to complete the process to act without further delay.
It said:
"Affected taxpayers are, therefore, advised to urgently conclude all outstanding onboarding and integration activities and commence invoice transmission before the compliance deadline."
Source: UGC
The NRS also reaffirmed its support for businesses navigating the rollout:
"The NRS appreciates the cooperation of taxpayers and remains committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the successful implementation of the national e-invoicing regime."
The e-invoicing initiative is part of the NRS's broader push to modernise tax administration using technology.
By receiving transaction data in real time, the agency aims to improve audit efficiency, tighten transparency in commercial transactions, and reduce tax leakages across the Nigerian economy.
Company income tax in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s Company Income Tax (CIT) collections stood at N1.37 trillion in Q1 2026, representing an 8.08% decline from the N1.49 trillion recorded in Q4 2025.
This was disclosed in the bureau’s latest Company Income Tax report covering Q1 2026.
Company Income Tax (CIT) is a tax imposed on the profits of registered companies operating in Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
