The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has extended the deadline for filing individual annual income tax returns by two weeks, from April 1 to April 14, 2026, amid confusion among taxpayers over the initial cutoff date.
This was contained in a statement signed by Monsurat Amasa-Oyelude, Head, Corporate Communications, LIRS.
In the statement, the Executive Chairman of LIRS, Ayodele Subair, explained that the statutory deadline for filing individual annual tax returns remains March 31 each year.
He said the extension was granted to provide taxpayers with additional time to complete and submit accurate returns.
Subair urged individuals to prioritise timely compliance, stressing that filing annual tax returns should be treated as a routine personal responsibility.
He reiterated that electronic filing through the LIRS eTax platform is the only approved method for submitting annual returns, noting that manual filing has been completely phased out. Taxpayers are therefore required to file their returns exclusively through the official eTax portal.
Describing the platform as secure, user-friendly and accessible 24/7, he advised individuals to ensure that their Tax Identification Number (TaxID) is correctly captured during submission.
The extension is coming amidst rush by individual taxpayers to file their returns in line with the new tax laws which mandate employees working in corporate organizations to file their returns in addition to the joint return already filed by their respective employers.