📌 Quick answer: Every registered business in Nigeria must file an annual return with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) every year, even if it made no money. Under the CAC’s current schedule of fees (gazetted 29 May 2025), it costs ₦5,000 for a business name, ₦5,000 for a company with share capital of ₦100,000 to ₦100 million, ₦10,000 for a company limited by guarantee, and ₦5,000 for incorporated trustees (NGOs, churches, associations). Late filing attracts penalties, and companies that stop filing can be struck off the register: on 15 July 2026 the CAC published a list of 100,000 companies and gave them 90 days to file all outstanding returns or be struck off without further notice. You file and pay online on the CAC’s iCRP portal.
Many Nigerians register a business name or company with the CAC, collect their certificate and never file again. Some only find out years later, when a bank, a client or a grant scheme asks for a status report and their business shows as inactive, or when it has been removed from the register.
This guide explains what an annual return is, how much it costs, what happens if you are late and how to catch up, using only CAC sources: the CAC’s gazetted schedule of fees, its 2026 public notices and the CAC forms.
What Is a CAC Annual Return?
An annual return is a yearly update you file with the CAC to confirm that your business still exists and that its details are correct. It is not a tax return. Tax goes to the tax authorities; the annual return goes to the CAC.
What the return contains depends on the type of business:
- Business names: the CAC’s annual return form for business names (CAC/BN 6, made under section 822 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020) asks for your principal place of business, the year the return covers, your turnover and total net assets, and the details of each proprietor or partner. The form says the financial statement for the year should be attached.
- Companies: the return updates the CAC on the company’s directors, shareholders, share capital and registered address. The CAC’s July 2026 notice also asked defaulting companies to bring their Persons with Significant Control (beneficial ownership) information up to date along with their returns.
- Incorporated trustees: the CAC’s form CAC/IT 4 (under section 848 of CAMA 2020) says the return should be accompanied by the audited accounts of the association for that year.
CAC Annual Return Fees in 2026
| Type of business | Annual return fee |
|---|---|
| Business name (sole proprietor or partnership) | ₦5,000 per return |
| Company with share capital of ₦100,000 to ₦100 million | ₦5,000 |
| Company with share capital above ₦100 million to ₦500 million | ₦100,000 |
| Company with share capital above ₦500 million to ₦1 billion | ₦150,000 |
| Company with share capital above ₦1 billion | ₦200,000 |
| Company limited by guarantee (LTD/GTE) | ₦10,000 |
| Limited liability partnership (LLP) | ₦10,000 per return |
| Limited partnership (LP) | ₦5,000 per return |
| Incorporated trustees (NGOs, religious bodies, associations, clubs) | ₦5,000 per return |
| Foreign company (annual report) | ₦100,000 |
Most small Nigerian businesses fall into the first two rows. A business name or a private company with ₦1 million share capital pays ₦5,000 for each year’s return.
The fee is per return. If you are three years behind, you file three returns, one for each year, and pay a fee for each.
Late Filing Penalties
The same 2025 schedule sets one-off penalties for late annual returns. For companies and partnerships, the penalty is assessed against the business and against each of its officers, such as directors. For business names and incorporated trustees, it is assessed against the business only.
| Type of business | Late annual return penalty | Charged to |
|---|---|---|
| Small company | ₦1,000 | The company and each officer |
| Private company other than small | ₦2,000 | The company and each officer |
| Company limited by guarantee | ₦2,000 | The company and each officer |
| Public company | ₦5,000 | The company and each officer |
| Limited liability partnership | ₦2,000 | The partnership and each officer |
| Limited partnership | ₦1,000 | The partnership and each officer |
| Business name | ₦5,000 | The business only |
| Incorporated trustees | ₦10,000 | The trustees only |
The schedule also lists separate “daily default” penalties for other late filings, such as ₦100 a day for business names and small companies and ₦200 a day for private companies other than small.
Worked examples
These are illustrations based on the gazetted figures. The CAC portal calculates the exact amount for your business, including any penalties, before you pay.
- A small company with ₦1 million share capital and two directors, one year late: ₦5,000 filing fee, plus a ₦1,000 penalty on the company and ₦1,000 on each of the two directors, which comes to about ₦8,000.
- A business name that is three years behind: three returns at ₦5,000 each is ₦15,000 in filing fees, plus the late penalty of ₦5,000 the schedule sets for business names, as assessed by the portal.
- A church registered as incorporated trustees, one year late: ₦5,000 filing fee plus a ₦10,000 penalty, about ₦15,000.
The lesson is simple: filing on time every year costs ₦5,000 for most small businesses. Falling behind costs more, and the risk of being struck off is the bigger problem.
When to File
| Type of business | When the annual return is due |
|---|---|
| Company | Every year. CAMA 2020 requires the return to be delivered to the CAC not later than 42 days after the company’s annual general meeting |
| Business name | Every year (section 822, CAMA 2020). The return covers the year shown on the form and should include that year’s financial statement |
| Incorporated trustees | Between 30 June and 31 December, for the preceding financial year, according to form CAC/IT 4 |
The CAC forms we checked for business names do not print a calendar deadline. The safest habit is to file once a year, as soon as your financial statement for the year is ready. When you log in to the portal, it shows which years are outstanding.
The 2026 Strike-Off List: What Happened
On 15 July 2026, the CAC published a notice titled “Intention to Strike Off Companies from the Register (Batch 6)”. It said the Commission had begun another round of striking off companies under section 692 of CAMA 2020, and published a list of 100,000 affected companies on its website.
The notice told the affected companies to:
- File all outstanding annual returns, including their Persons with Significant Control (beneficial ownership) information, and regularise their records within 90 days of the notice.
- Send evidence of compliance to the CAC’s designated email address, struckoffcompanies@cac.gov.ng.
It warned that companies that failed to comply within that time “shall be struck off the Register without further notice”. Ninety days from 15 July 2026 ran to 13 October 2026.
If your company was on the list
- Check the list on the CAC website (it was published as a spreadsheet with the 15 July notice) and your company’s status on the CAC’s public search.
- If it has not been struck off yet, file every outstanding return immediately and email your evidence to struckoffcompanies@cac.gov.ng.
- If it has been struck off, the 2025 schedule of fees lists a relisting service. The fee is ₦25,000 for a small company, ₦50,000 for a private company other than small or a company limited by guarantee, ₦100,000 for a public company and ₦25,000 for a business name. Contact the CAC (helpdesk@cac.gov.ng or 0708 062 9000) for the full relisting requirements before you pay anyone to do it for you.
How to File Your Annual Return Online
The CAC’s registration and filing services run on its Intelligent Company Registration Portal (iCRP) at icrp.cac.gov.ng. On 6 May 2026, the CAC announced that payment for business name annual returns, and other business name filings such as change of address and cessation, can now be made directly on the portal through ReVOps.
- Get your details ready: your registration number (BN or RC number), your financial statement for the year, turnover and net assets figures, and up-to-date details of directors, shareholders or proprietors.
- Log in to the iCRP with the account used to register the business, or create one and link your business.
- Choose annual returns for your business and select the year you are filing for.
- Fill in the form and upload documents, such as the financial statement (and audited accounts for incorporated trustees).
- Pay the fee on the portal. Check that the amount matches the official schedule for your business type.
- Submit and keep your receipt. File one return for each year you missed, starting from the oldest.
The CAC’s published service timelines are 24 working hours for company annual returns and 48 working hours for business name and incorporated trustees applications, once all documents are in order. Applications that go through state offices are given 7 working days.
You can use an accredited agent, but you do not have to. The CAC says individuals can register business names without a lawyer, chartered accountant or chartered secretary, registration is end to end on the portal, and since May 2026 business name filings can be paid for there too.
Another Rule Companies Should Know: Business Letters
In a notice dated 7 July 2026, the CAC said that from 1 August 2026 it would fully enforce sections 304(1) and (2) and 729(1)(c) of CAMA 2020 on company business letters, with sanctions for non-compliance. Companies must show on their letters, in legible characters, each director’s present forename or initials and surname, any former names, nationality for non-Nigerians, and the company’s name, registration number and registered address. If you are updating your records with your annual return, update your letterhead at the same time.
Related Guides
If you have not registered yet, start with our CAC business name search and registration guide or how to register a business with CAC yourself. For tax, which is separate from your CAC return, see how to file tax as a self-employed Nigerian.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is CAC annual returns for a business name in 2026?
₦5,000 per return, under the CAC schedule of fees gazetted on 29 May 2025.
How much is CAC annual returns for a small limited company?
₦5,000 for a company with share capital between ₦100,000 and ₦100 million. Companies limited by guarantee pay ₦10,000.
What is the penalty for late annual returns?
A one-off late penalty of ₦5,000 for a business name, ₦1,000 for a small company (charged to the company and each officer) and ₦10,000 for incorporated trustees, among others.
Do I have to file annual returns if my business made no money?
Yes. The annual return confirms that the business exists and that its records are correct. The business name form asks for your turnover, which can be low, but the return is still required.
Can CAC strike off my company for not filing?
Yes. In July 2026 the CAC gave 100,000 companies 90 days to file outstanding returns or be struck off without further notice, under section 692 of CAMA 2020.
How long does CAC take to process annual returns?
The CAC’s service timelines give 24 working hours for company annual returns and 48 working hours for business name applications, once everything is in order.
When should incorporated trustees file?
Between 30 June and 31 December, for the previous financial year, with audited accounts attached.
Sources
- Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 92, Vol. 112 – “New Schedule of Fees for the Services of the Corporate Affairs Commission”, 29 May 2025, published on news.cac.gov.ng
- Corporate Affairs Commission – “Intention to Strike Off Companies from the Register (Batch 6)”, public notice, 15 July 2026, cac.gov.ng
- Corporate Affairs Commission – public notices on portal payments for business name filings (6 May 2026) and company business letters (7 July 2026), cac.gov.ng
- Corporate Affairs Commission – forms CAC/BN 6 (Annual Return of Business Names) and CAC/IT 4 (Incorporated Trustees Annual Return), Companies Regulations 2021
- Corporate Affairs Commission – “Revised Service Timelines”, cac.gov.ng, checked 1 November 2026
Last updated: 1 November 2026 · NaijaSabi Business Desk. CAC fees and rules can change; check the CAC website and the portal before you pay. This is general information, not legal advice.
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