Nigeria just scored a major win on the world stage, with its Tax Identification Number (Tax-ID) now officially registered globally under the ISO/IEC 6523 International Coding System. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), backed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has also been greenlit as the country’s Peppol Authority, putting Nigerian businesses on the map for seamless cross-border trade.
Peppol, a globally recognized framework for secure and standardized electronic document exchange, is already a big deal in places like Europe, Asia, and Australia. With FIRS at the helm, Nigerian companies can now plug into this network, meaning faster payments, lower admin costs, and a serious edge in global markets. According to FIRS, this move is a game-changer for taxpayers and cements Nigeria’s rep as a hot spot for investment. “This simplifies compliance, smooths out cross-border deals, and boosts confidence in Nigeria as a trade hub,” the agency said in a statement.
Here’s how it works: Tax-IDs tied to the National Identification Number (NIN) for individuals and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) numbers for businesses are now internationally recognized. This cuts down on duplicate records, admin slip-ups, and compliance headaches by syncing Tax-IDs across federal and state levels.
FIRS isn’t stopping there. They’ve rolled out the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) e-invoicing platform, and big taxpayers have until November 1, 2025, to get on board, with smaller businesses to follow in stages. Companies are being nudged to validate their Tax-IDs, update their accounting systems, and jump in quick. “MBS is a huge step toward simpler tax admin, tighter compliance, and getting Nigeria up to global standards,” FIRS added.
This isn’t just paperwork it’s a bold move to make Nigeria a bigger player in digital trade. With the Tax-ID now global and Peppol in play, the country’s ready to hustle on the world stage.
