Sokoto IRS U-Turns on Compulsory Monthly E-Filing, Reaffirms Annual Compliance
The Sokoto State Internal Revenue Service (SOSIRS) has withdrawn its recent directive mandating the compulsory monthly electronic filing of tax returns, bringing relief to taxpayers across the state.
In a public notice issued on Thursday in Sokoto, the agency clarified that only annual tax returns are currently required to be filed electronically, in accordance with the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, 2025.
This development follows widespread reactions to a circular dated January 5, which had announced the immediate enforcement of monthly e-filing for all taxpayers.
The revenue service explained that the decision to retract the directive was made because the technical framework necessary for seamless monthly filing is not yet fully operational.
“The implementation framework for monthly e-filing is still in progress and has not yet been fully operationalised,” the agency stated.
Consequently, taxpayers have been advised to “disregard any reference to compulsory monthly e-filing until further official notice.”
However, the agency was quick to emphasize that the withdrawal does not affect the requirement for annual e-filing, which remains mandatory and compliant with national tax provisions.
Despite the rollback on the monthly requirement, SOSIRS reiterated its commitment to modernizing the state’s tax administration system.
The agency described electronic filing as a critical tool for ensuring efficiency, transparency, accuracy, and ease of compliance.
“Electronic filing remains a key component of modern tax administration aimed at promoting efficiency, transparency, accuracy and ease of compliance,” the notice read.
The agency assured the public that it would continue to provide support and guidance to ensure smooth compliance while working to strengthen tax administration and service delivery in the state.
This clarification is expected to settle the confusion among business owners and individual taxpayers who had raised concerns over the readiness of the state’s digital infrastructure to support high-frequency filing.
