The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has warned that every Nigerian taxpayer, including employers and individuals, must file annual tax returns on or before March 31, stressing that failure to comply remains a violation of the law.
Oyedele issued the reminder during a webinar organised for human resources managers, payroll officers, chief financial officers, and tax managers, in collaboration with the Joint Revenue Board. The session, which focused on improving tax compliance, was later made available to the public on YouTube.
According to him, employers are legally required to submit annual tax returns for their employees, detailing earnings and taxes due for the year under review. While acknowledging that some organisations have complied, Oyedele noted that many others are running out of time to meet the statutory deadline.
He also drew attention to the poor level of compliance among individual taxpayers, describing it as a major weakness in Nigeria’s tax system. Oyedele said that even states with relatively strong tax administration frameworks record very low rates of individual self-assessment filings.
The tax reform committee chairman cautioned against the common belief among workers that tax obligations end once deductions are made from salaries through the Pay-As-You-Earn system. He explained that both existing and previous tax laws clearly require individuals to file annual tax returns, regardless of whether their taxes have already been deducted by their employers.
Oyedele assured taxpayers that efforts are underway to simplify the filing process, with tax authorities, state internal revenue services, and joint revenue boards working together to make compliance easier and more efficient. He stressed that the March 31 deadline applies to all taxpayers, including low-income earners, and covers returns for the preceding fiscal year.
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He further disclosed that under the new tax reform framework, businesses benefiting from tax incentives are now mandated to declare such incentives when filing their returns or shortly after. According to him, this requirement is central to the government’s push for greater transparency, accountability, and fairness within Nigeria’s tax system.
Oyedele reiterated that widespread compliance is critical to improving public revenue and strengthening trust in the tax administration process, urging Nigerians to see tax filing as both a civic duty and a legal responsibility.
