27/09/2026
THE ₦12 MILLION THRESHOLD EXPLAINED
₦12 million is not profit. It is not the amount left after expenses.
Under these Regulations, the threshold question is about turnover.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
Regulation 6(2)(b) says presumptive income tax shall not be charged on a taxable person whose actual or estimated turnover from trade or business for the relevant year of assessment does not exceed ₦12 million.
“Does not exceed” means up to and including ₦12 million.
TURNOVER IS THE KEY WORD
Regulation 12 defines turnover as gross income, actual or deemed, from any business or economic activity from all sources for the assessment period.
The assessment period is the 12 months from 1 January to 31 December.
So if you are testing the ₦12 million threshold, do not start by deducting rent, stock, transport, salaries or other expenses and calling what remains your turnover. That is a different calculation.
THE ₦40,000-A-DAY SHORTCUT
The Regulations define a nano business partly by reference to annual turnover not exceeding ₦12 million, with ₦40,000 daily assuming 300 working days in a year.
That ₦40,000 figure is a useful illustration, not permission to ignore the actual or estimated annual turnover where it can be established.
WHAT HAPPENS ABOVE ₦12 MILLION?
Crossing the threshold does not automatically mean every business pays 1%. The taxpayer must still be within the presumptive regime and not otherwise exempt.
But where Regulation 6(3) applies, the 1% is assessed on the actual or estimated turnover. The Regulations do not say “1% of the amount above ₦12 million.”
EXAMPLE
If an otherwise eligible presumptive taxpayer has turnover of ₦13 million, the relevant 1% base under Regulation 6(3) is ₦13 million, not ₦1 million.
That distinction is exactly why understanding the threshold before year-end matters.
THE TAX ADVANTAGE INSIGHT
For the ₦12 million threshold, the relevant number is turnover, not profit. And crossing the line does not mean only the excess is exposed.
Do you track annual turnover as one number, or do you only look at what is left after expenses?