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Last updated : 11.05.2026

Expense rules in Nigeria.

All FIRS rules: 7.5% VAT, mission allowances and VAT recovery rules in Nigeria.

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VAT
7.5%
Exempt
Food/Health/Educ.
Mileage rate
NGN 200/km
Executive per diem
NGN 50k+/d
Foreign VAT recovery
None
Currency
NGN

Disclaimer: This country guide is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Although we update it regularly, it may not reflect ongoing regulatory changes. Illizeo SA declines all responsibility for actions taken or not taken based on this content.

1Expense rules & reclaimable VAT

7.5% standard VAT (raised from 5% in 2020). Exemptions food, health, education.
Source: FIRS · MoF
CategoryVATReclaimCap / Note
Business meals7,5%100% reclaimableIf business legitimate
Travel meals7,5%100% reclaimablePer diem cap
Accommodation7,5%100% reclaimableTax invoice required
Fuel7,5%100% reclaimableBusiness records
Train / flight7,5%100% reclaimablePublic transport
Taxi / Uber / Bolt7,5%100% reclaimableReceipt required
Client gifts7,5%LimitedFIRS reasonable cap
Parking7,5%100% reclaimableTax invoice

Tax invoice

Required

Mandatory tax invoice for ITC.

Per diem

NGN 50,000

MNC standard.

Retention

6 years

FIRS records: 6 years.

2Mileage allowance

No national rate. Common private sector practice.
FIRS · Practice
ModeAllowanceCapNote
Personal carNGN 200/kmBy companyStandard practice
MotorcycleNGN 100/kmBy companyReduced rate

MNC practice

NGN 200

Private sector standard.

Records

Logbook

Date, destination, km.

Inflation

Reviewed

Caps revised by NGN/USD.

SourcesFIRS

3Per diem and travel allowances

Per diem by company policy.
MNC practice
DestinationMealLodging / nightDaily rate
Lagos / AbujaNGN 20,000NGN 80,000NGN 100,000
Port HarcourtNGN 15,000NGN 65,000NGN 80,000
Senior executiveNGN 50,000NGN 150,000NGN 200,000
Foreign — JohannesburgNGN 35,000NGN 120,000NGN 155,000
Foreign — LondonNGN 80,000NGN 250,000NGN 330,000

MNC practice

NGN 50k+

Standard executive per diem.

Hotel separate

Actual

Lodging refunded on invoice.

Inflation

Variable

Caps revised by NGN/USD.

SourcesFIRS

4Foreign VAT recovery

VAT recovery almost non-existent for foreign companies in Nigeria.
FIRS
ZoneMechanismDeadlineMethod
Nigeria → EUNo reciprocityNo agreement
FranceNo reciprocityNo agreement
United KingdomNo reciprocityNo agreement
SwitzerlandNo reciprocityNo agreement
USANo recoverySales tax not recoverable
NG VAT for foreignNoneNo mechanism

No B2B refund

None

No B2B recovery procedure.

Free zones

Available

Nigerian Free Trade Zones exempt.

Outbound

Very limited

Very few bilateral agreements.

SourcesFIRS

Industrialize your Nigeria expenses with Illizeo.

7.5% VAT, MNC per diem, multi-currency NGN↔USD↔EUR↔CHF: all the FIRS rules above are natively integrated into Illizeo.

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