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

Supported by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the move registers Nigeria’s Tax-ID under the ISO/IEC 6523 International Coding System, providing Nigerian individuals and businesses with global recognition for cross-border transactions.

Peppol, a widely adopted framework for secure and standardized electronic document exchange, is already operational in Europe, Asia, and Australia. With FIRS as Nigeria’s official Peppol Authority, local businesses can now connect seamlessly to this global network, facilitating faster payments, lowering administrative costs, and enhancing competitiveness internationally.

FIRS noted that the initiative simplifies tax compliance, improves efficiency, and reinforces confidence in Nigeria as a trade and investment hub. “This milestone streamlines compliance for taxpayers, enables smoother cross-border transactions, and strengthens Nigeria’s position in global trade and investment,” the agency said.

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

Additionally, FIRS has introduced the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) e-invoicing platform. Large taxpayers are required to integrate with MBS by 1 November 2025, with medium and small businesses to follow in subsequent phases. Companies are encouraged to validate their Tax-IDs, update accounting systems, and onboard promptly.

“The MBS platform marks a key step in modernizing tax administration, closing compliance gaps, and aligning Nigeria with global standards in taxation and cross-border trade,” FIRS added.