Nigerians Face N100,000 Fine for Late Tax Filing but What Is the Fine for a Failed President Who Failed to Fix Electricity in Four Years as He Promised

The Tinubu government is pushing Nigerians to file their 2025 personal income tax returns before the March 31 deadline, but the process has become a source of widespread frustration, ridicule, and anger across social media. As the deadline approaches, citizens are sharing stories of confusion, arbitrary tax increases, and a penalty system that makes no sense.

The most striking comparison came from a user who pointed out the absurd mathematics of the current system. The national minimum wage is N70,000 per month, but the fine for failing to file your tax returns is N100,000. This means a worker earning the minimum wage would have to pay a penalty that exceeds their entire monthly salary, a reality that many have described as setting the country on fire. The numbers expose a system that seems designed to punish ordinary citizens rather than encourage compliance.

For those trying to comply, the experience has been no better. One user described attempting to file taxes and claiming relief, only to have their tax increased instead of reduced. The speed with which they closed the nonsense website, as they put it, captured the sentiment of many who have encountered a platform that appears broken, unhelpful, and indifferent to the struggles of users.

Perhaps the most damning complaint came from a taxpayer who already had a Tax Identification Number from 2024, used for freelance work and by their employer. After following instructions from an Instagram tutorial, they suddenly received a new Tax ID with their employer’s name on it, leaving them with multiple IDs and no guidance on which to use. Their questions are straightforward. What happens to the old Tax ID? How do I delete the new one? How do I file my taxes before March 31 with no clear direction?

The same user noted that the government put an AI assistant on the tax website to help citizens navigate the process, but they put the AI behind a paywall. You must pay them to learn how to file your taxes. This means that even seeking help comes with a cost, adding insult to injury for Nigerians who are already struggling with a collapsing economy, unaffordable fuel, and unreliable electricity.

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The common thread across all the complaints is the absence of instructions and resources. Citizens are being given a deadline and threats of a N100,000 fine, but no clear guidance on how to meet the requirement. The government has expanded the tax net nationwide, but it has not expanded the support system that would make compliance possible for ordinary people.

Critics of the Tinubu administration see this as part of a broader pattern. A government that is quick to penalize but slow to provide. A government that spends billions to power Aso Rock while leaving citizens to navigate broken websites and paywalled help desks. A government that demands taxes from people who cannot afford to pay while awarding billion dollar contracts to convicted money launderers.

As the March 31 deadline approaches, millions of Nigerians are caught between the fear of a N100,000 fine and the reality of a system that seems designed to fail them. Some have given up. Others are scrambling for answers that do not exist. And many are simply asking the same question. If the government wants us to pay taxes, why has it made it this hard to comply?

The answer, for now, remains as confusing as the tax portal itself.

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