Nigeria gains global recognition for tax-ID

…named Peppol Authority for national electronic invoice

Nigeria has secured a major milestone in its digital trade transformation with the global registration of its Tax Identification Number (Tax-ID) and the approval of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the country’s Peppol Authority.

Peppol, an internationally accepted framework for the secure and standardised exchange of electronic documents, is already in use across Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The achievement, made possible with the support of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), registers Nigeria’s Tax-ID under the ISO/IEC 6523 International Coding System, giving Nigerian individuals and businesses international recognition in cross-border transactions.

With FIRS as Nigeria’s Peppol Authority, Nigerian businesses can now integrate seamlessly into this network, allowing faster payments, reduced administrative costs, and improved global competitiveness.

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According to FIRS, the move simplifies compliance for taxpayers and boosts confidence in Nigeria as an investment hub.

“This milestone simplifies compliance for taxpayers, enables smoother cross-border transactions, and strengthens confidence in Nigeria as a global trade and investment hub,” the agency said in a statement.

Under the new framework, Tax-IDs generated using the National Identification Number (NIN) for individuals and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) numbers for businesses will now be internationally referenceable. The initiative also reduces duplication, administrative errors, and compliance burdens by unifying Tax-IDs across federal and state levels.

In a further push, FIRS has launched the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) e-invoicing platform, which large taxpayers must integrate with by 1 November 2025, while medium and small businesses will follow in phases. Companies are urged to validate their Tax-IDs, update accounting systems, and onboard promptly.

“The launch of MBS is a significant step in simplifying tax administration, closing compliance gaps, and positioning Nigeria to meet global standards in taxation and cross-border trade,” FIRS added.

Iheanyi Nwachukwu

Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with almost two decades journalism experience writing on banking, finance, capital markets, and tax. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos. Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA). Other trainings Iheanyi attended include: Economic/Political Risk Analysis (By Thomson Reuters Foundation); International Financial Journalism (IFJ) (By PMA Media Training, UK); Effective Business Writing Skills (By Phillips Consulting); Reporting on Corporate Governance (By International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Thomson Reuters Foundation UK); etc. In addition, he has participated in high-level economy & markets events in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, and other African countries like Zambia, Ghana and Gambia.