Before we start…

Lagos State Government has extended the tax filing deadline to April 14, 2026.

So if you were rushing before, relax…

But don’t delay again ooh, use this extra time wisely.

Let Me Explain..

Imagine Mama Ngozi sells tomatoes in Lagos.

One day she hears:

“Tax deadline is here ooh!, It’s on the 31st of March ooh!”

She panics:

“Ah! I don’t understand this thing o…”

If you feel like Mama Ngozi, relax.

As your Financial Literacy Advocate, I will break it down step by step.

First… What Exactly are You Are Filing?

You are NOT filing 2026 tax.

You are declaring the money you earned from:

January – December 2025

That is what Lagos State wants.

Here’s a Step by Step Process to File your Personal Income Tax Annual Returned in Lagos

STEP 1: Get Your TIN (Tax Identification Number)

Go to Google and search:

Tax Identification Number in Nigeria

Open the Nigeria Revenue Service official portal: taxid.nrs.gov.ng

Enter your NIN

Enter your Date of Birth

Generate your TIN

This is your tax identity. Keep it safe.

STEP 2: Create Your Lagos Tax Account (LIRS)

Go to: etax.lirs.net

Create an account using:

Your BVN (recommended)

Your personal details

Then generate your:

Lagos Payer ID

Note:

Individuals = starts with N-

Companies = starts with C-

STEP 3: Login to Your Dashboard

Use:

Your newly created Payer ID

Your Password

STEP 4: File Your Annual Return

Click:

“File Annual Return”

VERY IMPORTANT (This is Where Many People Make Mistake)

If you earn:

₦100,000 per month

Do NOT enter ₦100,000.

Multiply it:

₦100,000 × 12 = ₦1,200,000

That is your annual income.

This applies to Salary Earners and Business Owners, including Freelancers or Content Creators… You are to pay from your Net Income.

STEP 5: Add Other Income (If Any)

You may see:

Rent

Business income

Dividends

If you have them, include them

If not, skip

STEP 6: Add Tax Relief (Very Important)

You may see:

Pension

Insurance

Mortgage

Add them if you have them

This will reduce your tax

STEP 7: Submit

After filling everything:

Click Submit

The system will calculate your tax automatically.

Here’s the Secret Many People Don’t Know

If your income is small…

You may pay:

Zero tax

But… if you don’t file at all…

You will pay penalty of ₦100,000 and a subsequent ₦50,000 for each of the following Month until you file your Annual Returned.

Now that deadline has been extended to: April 14, 2026

Don’t say:

“I will do it later…”

Do it now.

IN SIMPLE SUMMARY:

Get your TIN

Create your LIRS account

Calculate your annual income

Submit your return

That’s all.

The problem is not tax…

The problem is lack of understanding

Once you understand it…

Everything becomes simple.

If you still have questions…

Ask here on Fokona

That is why this platform exists..

To make money, tax, and investing simple for everyone.

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