FCT-IRS mandates tax returns filing for residents before March 31

2026-03-02 - 17:17

By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service FCT-IRS has asked all taxable individuals residing within the FCT to file their annual tax returns for the 2025 assessment year no later than March 31, 2026. In a statement issued on Monday by Mustapha Sumaila, the Head of Corporate Communications for the FCT-IRS, the Service clarified that the mandate applies to all residents, including employees under the PAYE scheme, public officials and business owners. According to Sumaila, all taxable persons are expected to declare their total income from all sources for the preceding year (2025) along with a statement of their deductions. He said this requirement is rooted in Section 24(f) of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, which requires every individual with taxable income to submit a “true and correct return” within the first 90 days of the assessment year. To facilitate a seamless process, the FCT-IRS has urged residents to utilize its dedicated self-service portal or visit any FCT-IRS office. It warned that failure to meet the deadline would trigger stringent sanctions, noting that default “will attract various sanctions as provided in the law, this include issuing a best of judgment assessment on defaulters, imposing penalties and interest and other civil and criminal sanctions.”