The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has extended the deadline for the filing of employers’ annual tax returns by one week, shifting the cut-off date from February 1 to February 7, 2026.
The extension was announced in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Monsurat Amasa-Oyelude, on behalf of the Executive Chairman of LIRS, Ayodele Subair.
According to the statement, the statutory deadline for the filing of employers’ annual tax returns remains January 31 of every year, in line with existing tax regulations.
However, the agency said the one-week extension was approved to allow employers additional time to complete and submit accurate returns, especially where reconciliation and documentation may still be ongoing.
Subair stressed that employers must continue to give priority to the timely filing of annual tax returns, adding that tax compliance should be embedded as a routine and integral part of business operations rather than treated as an occasional obligation.
He further reiterated that electronic filing via the LIRS eTax platform remains the only approved channel for submitting employers’ annual returns. Manual submissions, he said, have been completely phased out in line with the agency’s digitalisation drive aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and ease of compliance.
Employers were therefore reminded that all annual returns must be filed exclusively through the LIRS eTax portal, which the agency described as secure, user-friendly and accessible round-the-clock.
The LIRS chairman also advised employers to ensure that the Tax Identification Number (TaxID) of every employee is correctly captured in their filings, warning that inaccurate or incomplete information could delay processing or attract penalties under existing tax laws.
The extension, LIRS noted, does not alter employers’ responsibility to comply fully with statutory requirements but rather serves as a final window to regularise filings and avoid sanctions.