The Lagos State Government has approved a one-week extension for the filing of employers’ annual tax returns, moving the deadline from February 1 to February 7, 2026, in a bid to strengthen compliance and improve the quality of submissions.
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) announced the extension on Friday, with its Executive Chairman, Dr Ayodele Subair, explaining that the decision was taken to give employers additional room to complete and submit accurate returns.
Dr Subair noted that while the statutory deadline for filing employers’ annual returns is January 31 of every year, the service deemed it prudent to grant a brief reprieve to ease the compliance burden, particularly for organisations finalising their documentation.
He urged employers across the state to take advantage of the extension and prioritise timely tax filings, stressing that compliance should be embedded as a core business process rather than treated as an afterthought.
Reiterating the agency’s digital-first strategy, the LIRS chairman emphasised that all annual returns must be filed electronically through the LIRS eTax platform, adding that manual submissions have been completely discontinued.
According to him, the adoption of e-filing aligns with the state’s broader fiscal reform agenda, aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and accountability in tax administration.
The LIRS has consistently warned that failure to comply within the approved timeline attracts statutory penalties, urging employers to act proactively to avoid sanctions.
