How to Update Your Tax ID Information

You get one chance to correct your date of birth on your NIN. After that, NIMC will not change it again. If that date is wrong, your Tax ID lookup can fail, and you cannot update your Tax ID information without paying a fee and producing a paper trail.

Many people assume a Tax ID has an edit button. It does not, and the reason is the most useful thing to understand about it. This guide shows where each correction really happens, what it costs, how long the law gives you to report a change, and four cases where the fix is not obvious.

To update your Tax ID information, correct the record the number is built on. The Tax ID itself never changes. Fix your name, date of birth or phone at NIMC, your company details at CAC, and tell your tax authority within 30 days. Then retrieve your 13-digit Tax ID again to confirm it matches.

Protect your NIN. Type it only on taxid.nrs.gov.ng, after checking the address bar. This site never asks for it, and nobody may charge you to read your own Tax ID.

Why can you not edit a Tax ID?

The Tax ID is system-generated. For individuals it is linked to the NIN, and for businesses to the CAC registration number, according to the FCT-IRS notice of 29 December 2025. The portal reads those records. It does not hold your details, so it has nothing to edit.

The Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 locks the same logic into law. Under section 7(5), a person with a valid Tax ID cannot apply for another. Under section 7(7), a Tax ID cannot be transferred to or used by anyone else. Under section 7(6), anyone who finds that a taxable person holds several Tax IDs must report it for unification. The gazetted text gives the exact wording.

How long do you have to report a change?

Section 9(1) says every taxable person must notify the relevant tax authority within 30 days of a change in particulars. Section 9(2)(a) lists the changes: name, including trading name, location of business, telephone numbers, email address and registered address.

We read sections 4 to 9 and section 100 and found no separate fine for late notification. Section 100 fines failure to register, not late updates. Even so, a stale record is the quickest way to get a failed lookup, a rejected invoice or a stuck bank mandate.

Where do you make each correction?

What changed	Where to fix it	Fee or limit
Name on NIN	NIMC	₦2,000
Date of birth on NIN	NIMC	₦28,574, once in a lifetime
Phone number on NIN	NIMC	₦2,000
Address on NIN	NIMC	₦2,000
Company name, directors, registered address	CAC	Set by CAC, not quoted here
Tax office or business address	Your tax authority (NRS or State IRS)	Notify within 30 days
Forgotten Tax ID	Nothing to fix	Retrieve it again

The NIMC fees come from Pulse Nigeria, 6 November 2026, which cites NIMC's published fees. BusinessDay reported the same ₦2,000 and ₦28,574 figures in May 2025. Confirm the amount on the NIMC portal before you pay, because payments are non-refundable.

How do you correct your NIN?

1. Try to retrieve your Tax ID first. Follow how to check your Tax ID number. If it works, stop here.
2. Find the mismatch. Compare your NIN slip with your ID card, bank records and certificate. Check spelling, name order and date.
3. Use the NIMC self-service modification portal. Register, verify your NIN, choose the detail, upload documents and pay.
4. Bring the right paper. Name changes need a court affidavit, a newspaper extract or a marriage certificate where applicable, plus a valid ID.
5. Wait for approval, then retrieve again. After NIMC approves, repeat the portal lookup.

What do real mismatches look like?

These cases come up again and again in NIN and tax records. None needs a special trick, only the right agency.

Case	Why it fails	Fix
Married name on bank records, maiden name on NIN	Names differ across records	NIMC name change with marriage certificate
Date of birth wrong on NIN	NIMC allows one change	Prepare the NPC birth or attestation certificate first
Old SIM, dead phone line	*346# only works on the NIMC number	Update phone at NIMC (₦2,000)
Company moved office	CAC and tax records differ	File at CAC, notify tax authority in 30 days

The date of birth case deserves care. Pulse reports that a difference of five years or more needs an enrolment centre visit, and the correction can be done only once. Check the certificate before you submit, because a second attempt is not allowed.

How do businesses update their details?

1. Check what CAC holds. Compare your certificate and status report with what you want recorded.
2. File the change with CAC. CAC states the documents and fees for name, address and director changes.
3. Notify your tax authority. Section 9 gives you 30 days.
4. Retrieve your Tax ID again. Confirm it with your RC or BN number, then update invoices, VAT records and bank mandates.

Raising invoices after a change? Update your details in the proforma invoice generator. For payroll, each employee's name must match their NIN, which keeps PAYE records clean. Check the figures with the PAYE calculator.

What should you prepare before you start?

• Your NIN, and access to the phone line registered with NIMC.
• A valid government ID that shows the correct name and date of birth.
• The supporting proof: a marriage certificate, court affidavit, newspaper extract, or an NPC birth or attestation certificate.
• For a business, the CAC certificate, status report and any filing acknowledgement.
• Your current Tax ID, so you can compare it after the change.

Be careful with agents. The NIMC self-service portal is built for you to use yourself, and nobody needs your NIN to read your Tax ID. If someone asks for money to "update" a Tax ID, they are selling a service that does not exist, because the number cannot be edited. Pay only the published fee, on the official portal, and keep the transaction reference until your record shows the change. A screenshot of the approved record is useful proof if a bank or tax office questions the difference later.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my Tax ID number?

No. The Tax ID is system-generated and linked to your NIN or CAC number. Section 7(5) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act also bars a person with a valid Tax ID from getting another. You can change the details held against it, at NIMC for individuals and CAC for companies.

Is there an update form on the Tax ID portal?

No. The portal only retrieves your Tax ID. You select a tax category, choose a retrieval method, enter your NIN or CAC number and click Retrieve. Corrections are made with the agency that holds the record, then you retrieve again to confirm.

My name on my NIN is wrong. What do I do?

Correct it at NIMC, where a name change costs ₦2,000 according to NIMC's published fees as reported by Pulse. Expect to supply a court affidavit, newspaper extract or marriage certificate, plus a valid ID. Once approved, retrieve your Tax ID again to confirm it matches.

How many times can I correct my date of birth on NIN?

Once in a lifetime, reports Pulse Nigeria, and the fee is ₦28,574. A difference of five years or more requires a visit to an enrolment centre. Because there is no second attempt, gather your birth certificate or attestation before you apply.

How soon must I report a change to the tax authority?

Within 30 days, under section 9(1) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act. The duty covers your name, trading name, business location, telephone numbers, email address and registered address. Tell the relevant tax authority, which may be the NRS or your State Internal Revenue Service.

I have two Tax IDs. What should I do?

Report it to your tax authority for unification. Section 7(6) requires anyone who finds that a taxable person holds multiple Tax IDs to report promptly. Section 7(5) bars a second number for someone with a valid one. Keep both numbers and any correspondence as proof.

Sources and last verified 8 November 2026: FCT-IRS Tax ID notice (29 December 2025), Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 gazette text (sections 7, 9 and 100), Pulse Nigeria (6 November 2026) and BusinessDay (May 2025) for NIMC fees. CAC fees are not quoted because we found no current official schedule. Confirm with each agency before you pay.

Open the Tax ID check guide and confirm your corrected record works.