Lagos State’s tax authority has pushed back the individual income tax return deadline by two weeks, moving it from April 1 to April 14, 2026, after widespread complaints that its online filing system buckled under the weight of last-minute traffic.
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) announced the extension on Monday through a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Communications, Monsurat Amasa-Oyelude. Executive Chairman Dr. Ayodele Subair said the extra time was granted to allow taxpayers to complete and submit accurate returns, though the announcement followed hours of public frustration over an inaccessible portal.
The LIRS eTax platform, which is the only approved channel for filing since manual submissions were scrapped, appeared to experience technical difficulties on the day of the deadline, leaving taxpayers unable to complete their filings. Social media filled with complaints from residents who spent hours unable to load the site, with some calling for an extension of several months rather than just two weeks.
Non-compliance carries stiff consequences. Taxpayers who miss the deadline face a penalty of 100,000 naira for the first month of default and 50,000 naira for each additional month.
Subair urged individuals to treat annual tax filing as a routine personal responsibility, not an optional exercise, reiterating that all submissions must go through the eTax portal at etax.lirs.net.
The statutory filing window covers income earned between January and December 2025. Taxpayers must ensure their Tax Identification Number is correctly captured before submitting their returns.
