The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said that no fewer than 1,000 companies have begun integrating with its newly-launched electronic invoicing solution (e-invoicing) barely two weeks after it went live.

According to a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, the figure represents 20 per cent of over 5,000 eligible large taxpayers and firms with annual turnover of N5 billion and above.

The e-invoicing platform, which commenced operations on August 1 after a pilot phase that started in November 2024, is designed to transform tax compliance and payment processes nationwide.

Adekanmbi explained that the initiative, also known as the Merchant-Buyer Model, will be introduced in phases, beginning with large taxpayers before extending to medium-sized and emerging companies.

“Large taxpayers, which are companies with annual turnover of N5 billion and more, are expected to be the first to be onboarded on the platform,” he said.

The FIRS has set November 1, 2025, as the final deadline for all large companies to complete their onboarding and integration with its Merchant-Buyer System (MBS) platform.

MTN Nigeria became the first firm to transmit live e-invoices to the tax authority, marking the formal commencement of the regime. Huawei Nigeria and IHS Nigeria have completed test transmissions and are expected to go live shortly.

To facilitate smooth adoption, the FIRS has partnered with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to incorporate service providers into the ecosystem. These providers, serving as both System Integrators and Access Point Providers, will assist companies with onboarding, integration, and invoice transmission.

Adekanmbi noted that the Service “commends all large taxpayers, tax consultants, and service providers for their cooperation and commitment to the success of the e-invoicing project,” while acknowledging the efforts of firms that aimed to meet the initial August 1, 2025 deadline but faced operational challenges.

“In the spirit of encouraging voluntary compliance, the FIRS management has approved a three-month extension of the deadline, with the new deadline now set for 1st November 2025,” he said.

The agency’s e-Invoicing Implementation Team Adekanmbi said will continue engaging stakeholders through webinars, workshops, and town hall meetings to ensure a smooth transition for all large taxpayers.

The national e-invoicing solution is an electronic fiscal system (EFS) developed to provide real-time visibility into commercial transactions while ensuring invoice authenticity, accuracy, and completeness.

FIRS says the platform aligns with global best practices and supports the Federal Government’s objectives of boosting revenue assurance, reducing tax evasion, and modernising tax administration.

It is also a key instrument in implementing the Nigeria Revenue Services Reform Act, which seeks to harmonise revenue reporting and establish a single source of truth for government revenues. (The Nation)