Nigeria Enforces New Crypto Tax Rules for Exchanges and P2P

Nigeria's 2026 tax framework mandates crypto exchanges and P2P platforms to withhold taxes on transactions, including a 1% levy on taxable trades.

The NRS has positioned crypto exchanges and peer-to-peer (P2P) trading platforms at the heart of the tax collection and remittance process. This move aims to increase transparency and revenue collection within the rapidly growing digital asset market.

These regulations are part of the “Nigeria Tax Act 2025,” which became fully effective in January 2026. The act brings the country closer to international standards for the tax reporting of crypto assets.

Crypto Platforms Assume a Key Role

Under the new guidelines, all licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), including crypto exchanges and P2P platforms, must withhold specific taxes at the point of transaction.

Platforms will withhold 1% of the value of taxable transactions involving crypto assets, tokenized securities, and certain NFTs. Income derived from staking, mining, airdrops, and DeFi protocols will be subject to a 10% withholding tax, while transactions between cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies will incur a 1.5% fee.

Regulators further clarified that withheld income tax and stamp duty can be remitted directly in the crypto asset used for the transaction. However, Value Added Tax (VAT) must be paid in the currency used for the payment.

Stricter Identification and Reporting Requirements

The new framework expands the obligations of crypto platforms regarding customer identification.

Operators are now required to collect and store personal data, including the national tax identification numbers of their users. Additionally, platforms must submit regular reports to tax authorities, detailing customer names, addresses, asset types held, transaction volumes, and transaction dates.

Crypto companies are also mandated to comply with KYC and AML regulations and must retain transaction information for at least seven years.

Authorities believe these measures will curb tax evasion and improve the traceability of crypto operations.

Capital Gains Taxation

Alongside withholding taxes at the source, Nigeria maintains its capital gains tax regime for crypto assets.

Profits from selling cryptocurrencies, exchanging between different tokens, or using them to purchase goods and services will continue to be taxed at a 10% capital gains rate.

Income from mining, staking, liquidity provision, and other active crypto activities will be treated as ordinary income, subject to applicable rates for individuals and legal entities.

Alignment with International Standards

These new rules are part of a broader strategy by Nigerian authorities to integrate crypto assets into the national tax system and limit cross-border tax evasion.

The framework is aligned with the “Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework” (CARF) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will facilitate the exchange of tax information with other nations.

With these changes, Nigeria ranks among the countries implementing the most detailed rules for cryptocurrency taxation and reporting. For exchanges, this means increased responsibilities for data collection and tax withholding, while investors gain clearer rules for declaring and taxing digital asset income.

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