FIRS Launches E-fiscal Platform to Promote Transiency, Tackle Tax Evasion
The Federal Government has commenced the rollout of a national Electronic Fiscal System to modernise Nigeria’s tax administration, curb evasion, and enhance transparency in revenue collection.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said the EFS, which incorporates an electronic invoicing solution known as the Merchant-Buyer Model, went live on August 1, 2025, after a successful pilot phase that began in November 2024.
The first phase targets large companies with an annual turnover of N5bn and above. The platform is designed to make tax compliance easier, faster, and more transparent for taxpayers, providing the FIRS with real-time visibility into commercial transactions while ensuring the authenticity, accuracy, and completeness of invoices.
In a statement on Sunday, the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, said that in less than two weeks since the launch, at least 1,000 companies, representing 20 per cent of more than 5,000 eligible firms, have adopted the system and begun integrating with the FIRS MBS platform.
The remaining large taxpayers must complete their onboarding and integration before the new deadline of November 1, 2025. The initial August 1 deadline was extended by three months to accommodate companies that made genuine efforts to meet the original date but faced operational constraints.
“MTN Nigeria became the first taxpayer to transmit live electronic invoices to the FIRS, officially ushering in the e-invoicing regime. Huawei Nigeria and IHS Nigeria have also concluded test transmissions and are set to go live in the coming days,” the revenue agency said.
In collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the FIRS has incorporated service providers into the ecosystem to act as both system integrators and access point providers. These providers will support onboarding, system integration, and invoice transmission processes for taxpayers.
The FIRS commended large taxpayers, tax consultants, and service providers for their cooperation and commitment to the success of the project, and urged all remaining eligible companies to take advantage of the extended deadline to comply.
The e-invoicing solution is being rolled out in phases, with medium-sized and emerging businesses to be onboarded after the large taxpayer category. It aligns with global best practices and supports the Federal Government’s broader objectives of enhancing revenue assurance, reducing tax evasion, and harmonising revenue reporting under the Nigeria Revenue Services Reform Act.
The FIRS said its e-Invoicing Implementation Team will continue to hold stakeholder engagements, including webinars, workshops, and town hall meetings, to ensure a smooth transition ahead of the November deadline.
President Bola Tinubu has made tremendous moves towards tightening Nigeria’s tax net with a sweeping reform agenda targeting evasion and fragmented revenue collection. He set up a Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, led by Taiwo Oyedele, to tackle multiple taxes, poor coordination, and loopholes in the system.
From January 2026, four new laws including the Nigeria Tax Act and Tax Administration Act will take effect, introducing digital registration, stricter reporting rules, and mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership to expose hidden income behind shell companies. The laws also require transparency for transactions structured mainly to gain tax advantages