Filing VAT returns is a monthly obligation for all VAT-registered businesses in Nigeria. This guide walks you through the current process — filing Form VAT 002 through the Nigeria Revenue Service's Rev360 portal — from understanding what goes into your return to submitting it successfully.

**Note on the transition:** The NRS (formerly FIRS) has moved VAT filing from the old TaxPro Max portal to **Rev360**. The biggest practical change is that your return is no longer a simple web form: Rev360 works off the official **Form VAT 002 workbook**, a multi-sheet Excel template in which detailed schedules of your sales and purchases feed the main return form. This guide reflects the Rev360 process.

Understanding VAT Returns in Nigeria

A VAT return is a declaration of your business's VAT transactions for a specific period. In Nigeria, VAT returns are filed monthly and include:

Output VAT: The VAT you collected from customers on your sales
Input VAT: The VAT you paid on your business purchases
Net VAT Payable: Output VAT minus Input VAT (if positive, you owe NRS)

The current VAT rate in Nigeria is 7.5%, applicable to most goods and services unless specifically exempted or zero-rated.

VAT Return Filing Deadline

VAT returns in Nigeria must be filed by the 21st of the month following the transaction period.

Transaction Month	Filing Deadline
January	February 21st
February	March 21st
March	April 21st
...	...
December	January 21st

Important: If the 21st falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline remains the same—you should file before the holiday.

The Form VAT 002 Workbook: What You're Actually Filing

Under Rev360, your VAT return is the official Form VAT 002 Excel workbook. The main return form is supported by detailed schedules, each on its own sheet:

Sheet	What goes in it
VAT Returns Form	The main Form 002 — totals, output VAT, input VAT, and net position. Calculated from the schedules below.
Schedule A — Sales	Every sale in the period, line by line: customer, TIN, invoice number, date, and value
Schedule B — Sales Adjustments	Credit notes and corrections that adjust sales from earlier periods
Schedule C — Purchases	Your purchases list, split into goods, services, and fixed assets
Schedule D — Imports	Imported goods: Form M number, bill of lading, country of origin, naira value
Schedule E — Self-Charge VAT	Self-charged VAT on services from non-resident suppliers, where applicable
Schedule F — Sales to MDAs	Sales to ministries, departments, and agencies (which withhold VAT at source)

The main form's figures — total sales, adjustments, net vatable sales, output VAT at 7.5%, recoverable purchases, input VAT — are computed from the schedule sheets, so the schedules are the real work of the return. Get the schedules right and Form 002 falls out automatically.

What You Need Before Filing

1. Sales Records

All invoices issued during the month, with customer names and TINs
Total taxable sales (standard-rated at 7.5%)
Zero-rated sales (exports, etc.) and exempt sales, if any
Credit notes issued against earlier periods (these go to Schedule B)

2. Purchase Records

VAT invoices from suppliers — with the supplier's TIN
Receipts for business expenses with VAT
Import documentation (Form M, bill of lading) for anything on Schedule D

3. Supporting Documents

Digital copies of your purchase invoices — Rev360 has an upload facility for the invoices backing your input-VAT claims (PDF, JPG, or PNG, maximum 5MB per file)
Bank statements for payment verification
Export documentation for zero-rated supplies

Calculating Your VAT Return

Step 1: Calculate Output VAT

Add up all the VAT you charged customers during the month.

Example:

Description	Net Sales	VAT (7.5%)
Product A sales	₦1,000,000	₦75,000
Service B revenue	₦500,000	₦37,500
Total Output VAT	—	₦112,500

Step 2: Calculate Input VAT

Add up all the VAT you paid on business purchases.

Example:

Description	Net Cost	VAT Paid
Office supplies	₦200,000	₦15,000
Professional services	₦100,000	₦7,500
Equipment purchase	₦300,000	₦22,500
Total Input VAT	—	₦45,000

Step 3: Calculate Net VAT Payable

Net VAT = Output VAT - Input VAT

Using our example:

Net VAT = ₦112,500 - ₦45,000 = ₦67,500 payable

If Input VAT exceeds Output VAT, you have a VAT credit that can be:

Carried forward to the next month
Refunded (in limited circumstances)

Step-by-Step: Filing on NRS Rev360

Step 1: Prepare the Form VAT 002 workbook

Complete the schedule sheets for the period — every sale on Schedule A, purchases classified into goods, services, and fixed assets on Schedule C, any cross-period credit notes on Schedule B, imports on Schedule D, and MDA sales on Schedule F. Use the official NRS template; the main form's totals derive from these sheets.

This is the step where manual filers spend hours in spreadsheets — and where accounting software earns its keep (more below).

Step 2: Log in to the Rev360 portal

Sign in to NRS Rev360 with your Tax Identification Number (TIN) and credentials
Navigate to VAT returns and select the return period (month/year)

Step 3: Submit the return

Complete the VAT 002 return for the period, carrying the figures from your prepared workbook — output VAT from your sales schedule, input VAT from your purchases, and the resulting net position.

Step 4: Upload your purchase invoices

Rev360 provides an Upload Purchase Invoice facility for the documents backing your input-VAT claims on the purchases schedule:

PDF, JPG, or PNG format only
Maximum 5MB per file
Focus on recoverable claims — purchases from TIN-registered suppliers where you're claiming input VAT. (Input VAT can only be recovered where the supplier's TIN is on the invoice, so invoices from unregistered suppliers don't support a claim.)

Step 5: Submit and keep your acknowledgment

Review all entries for accuracy
Submit the return
Save the acknowledgment receipt
Note the payment reference for remittance

Making VAT Payments

After filing, remit the net VAT payable by the same 21st deadline:

Online — pay against the payment reference generated at filing (NRS payments are processed through the Remita platform; card or bank transfer)
Bank — pay at an NRS-designated bank using your payment reference

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Missing the Deadline

Late filing attracts penalties (see below). Set reminders for the 15th to start preparing your return — the schedules take longer than the old web form did.

2. Incorrect VAT Calculation

Double-check your calculations. A 7.5% rate on ₦100,000 is ₦7,500, not ₦750 or ₦75,000.

3. Claiming Input VAT Without a Supplier TIN

Input VAT is only recoverable when the supplier's TIN appears on the invoice. Purchases from unregistered suppliers cannot support a claim — record the supplier's TIN at the point of purchase, not at filing time.

4. Misclassifying Purchases

Schedule C separates goods, services, and fixed assets. Classifying an equipment purchase as a service (or vice versa) misstates the schedule. Consistent classification in your books during the month makes this automatic.

5. Forgetting Cross-Period Adjustments

A credit note issued this month against last month's invoice belongs on Schedule B (Sales Adjustments) — not as a negative sale on Schedule A. This is one of the most common schedule errors.

6. Filing Nil Returns Late

Even if you have no transactions, you must file a nil return by the deadline.

How Finora Automates VAT Filing

Finora transforms the Rev360 filing from a day of spreadsheet work into a few clicks:

Automatic VAT Calculation

Every invoice and expense in Finora tracks its own VAT and classification the moment it's recorded. No month-end spreadsheet reconstruction.

The Full Form VAT 002 Workbook, Generated

When it's time to file, Finora generates your return on the official NRS Form VAT 002 template — not a lookalike:

All schedules populated from your actual records: Schedule A sales (with customer TINs), Schedule B cross-period adjustments, Schedule C purchases already split into goods, services, and fixed assets, Schedule D imports, and Schedule F MDA sales
The main Form 002 auto-calculated — its cells reference the schedule sheets, exactly as NRS built the template, so the totals recompute live if you review or adjust
The template's official formatting, notes, and formulas are preserved — the output looks like the form was filled in by hand, because functionally it was

Purchase Invoices, Bundled for Upload

Finora also packages the supplier invoices behind your input-VAT claims into a ready-to-upload ZIP for Rev360's Upload Purchase Invoice tab — pre-filtered to recoverable claims (TIN-registered suppliers with input VAT), validated against NRS's 5MB / PDF / JPG / PNG limits, with a manifest of anything missing so you know exactly what to chase.

Filing Reminders

Never miss a deadline. Finora reminds you ahead of the 21st, every month.

Complete Audit Trail

Every figure on every schedule traces back to a recorded transaction — date, user, source document, VAT treatment. When NRS asks questions, the answers are one click away.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to TaxPro Max?

The NRS has migrated VAT filing to the Rev360 platform. The substance of the return is unchanged — output VAT, input VAT, net position — but Rev360 is built around the Form VAT 002 workbook with its detailed schedules, and adds the purchase-invoice upload facility.

What if I file late?

Late filing attracts a penalty of ₦50,000 for the first month and ₦25,000 for each subsequent month of default, plus interest on unpaid VAT. See our complete guide to late VAT filing penalties.

Can I amend a filed return?

Yes — errors discovered after filing can be corrected through the NRS. Cross-period corrections to sales are exactly what Schedule B (Sales Adjustments) exists for. Note that underpayments attract interest.

What if I have no transactions this month?

You must still file a nil return by the deadline. Failure to file—even with no activity—attracts penalties.

How long should I keep VAT records?

Keep all VAT records for at least 6 years from the end of the accounting period to which they relate.

Can I claim input VAT on imports?

Yes, VAT paid on imports can be claimed as input VAT. You'll need the customs documentation (Form M, bill of lading) — which is also what Schedule D of the return asks for.

Conclusion

Rev360 raised the bar on what a VAT return contains: line-level schedules of every sale and purchase, classified and TIN-tagged, feeding an auto-calculated Form 002. Done by hand, that's a real monthly workload. Done from books that already track VAT per transaction, it's a download.

Finora generates the official Form VAT 002 workbook — every schedule populated, the main form computing itself — plus the purchase-invoice bundle for upload, and reminds you before the 21st. Let the software handle the schedules while you focus on your business.

Ready to automate your VAT filing?

Join Nigerian businesses using Finora to produce Rev360-ready VAT returns accurately and on time. Get started for free today.

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