One of our community members on gossiphome.ng asked this question to our Mentor, Wisdom Lambert Ugochukwu, He Said:
“Sir... The tax deadline is tomorrow and I don’t understand anything about tax filing… how do I file my personal income tax in Lagos Nigeria?”
Oya... Relax.
As your Financial Literacy Advocate, let me break this down with a Simple Story in a way that even Grandma in the Village will Nod her head and say: "Yes I understand this one"
Imagine:
Mama Ngozi heard people shouting in the market in Lagos…
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“Tax deadline is tomorrow!”
“If you don’t file, penalty will enter!”
She got scared…
“Ah! I don’t even understand this Lagos tax… what do I do?”
If you are like Mama Ngozi… relax.
Read this carefully, you will understand everything.
First thing you must understand…
You are not filing 2026 tax.
You are declaring the money you earned from January to December 2025.
That is what Lagos State wants from you.
Now let me go straight to what you need to do…
The first step is to get your Tax Identification Number (TIN).
Go to Google and search:
Tax Identification Number Nigeria
Open the official portal, ( taxid.nrs.gov.ng) enter your NIN and date of birth, then generate your TIN.
That number is your identity in the Nigerian tax system.
Keep it safe.
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Next step… for those of you in Lagos....
create your Lagos Tax New Payer ID
Go to the Lagos State tax portal:
Create an account.
Use your BVN, not National ID, because BVN works faster and avoids errors.
Fill your details and generate your Payers ID.
That Payers ID is what Lagos State uses to track your tax record.
Now log in to your dashboard.
Using your Payer ID and password.
Please Note: your Payer ID must Start with N- for Individuals or C- for Companies.
Now That you just login on the LIRS portal.
Click on “File Annual Return.”
Listen Carefully...
This is where many people get confused…
If you earn ₦100,000 per month…
Do not type ₦100,000.
Multiply it by 12.
That is ₦1,200,000.
That is your annual income for 2025.
That is what you must declare for Salary Earners.
And if you earn money Via Business Income, still follow the same Processes
If you worked for fewer months, calculate based on how many months you worked.
You will also see sections like rent, dividends, or other income.
If you have any, include them.
If not, skip.
You will also see tax relief options like pension, insurance, or mortgage.
If you have them, include them because they reduce your tax.
But...
If you don’t have them, move on.
After everything…
Submit your return.
The system will calculate your tax automatically.
Now let me tell you something many people don’t know…
If your income is small, you may not even pay anything.
But if you don’t file at all…
Lagos State will charge you penalty.
And that one is avoidable.
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The real problem is not tax…
The real problem is lack of understanding.
So don’t panic.
Don’t wait till last minute.
Do it now.
Because at the end of the day…
Financial knowledge is not about big grammar…
It is about knowing what to do at the right time.
If this helped you, you can read more articles on GossipHome.ng Website.
That is exactly why this platform exists…
To make money and tax simple for everybody, even Mama Ngozi
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