How much is cac annual payment?

What “CAC Annual Payment” Actually Means

CAC annual payment refers to the fee paid to the Corporate Affairs Commission when filing your annual returns — the yearly statement every registered business name, limited company, or incorporated trustee must submit to confirm it is still active and that its registered details are accurate. It is not a tax. It has nothing to do with FIRS. It is purely a CAC compliance obligation, separate from whatever you file with tax authorities.

The Actual Cost

The amount depends on your entity type:

Business name (sole proprietorship/enterprise): approximately ₦5,000 per year

Private limited company: approximately ₦5,000–₦10,000 per year, depending on the specific filing and portal charges applied at the time

Incorporated trustees (NGOs): a comparable flat fee, generally in the same range as companies

These figures cover only the statutory CAC charge for filing on time. They do not include:

Late filing penalties (charged separately per outstanding year, if applicable)

Stamp duty on any related filings, where relevant

Professional or agent fees if you use a consultant to file on your behalf — typically ₦15,000–₦75,000 depending on complexity

Why the Amount Varies Between Sources

You’ll notice different websites and agents quote slightly different figures for the “CAC annual payment.” This happens for a few reasons: CAC periodically revises its published fee schedule, portal processing charges can add a small amount on top of the base statutory fee, and agents sometimes bundle their own service charge into the number they quote you. The safest way to know the exact figure for your specific filing is to check directly on the CAC portal at the point of payment, or confirm with an accredited CAC agent before proceeding.

When It’s Due

Annual returns — and therefore the annual payment — are generally expected once a year, tied to your company’s financial year-end or, for a business name, the anniversary of registration. Companies typically file within 42 days of their Annual General Meeting. Missing this window is where the real cost starts to climb, since penalties are charged per year of delay, not as a single flat late fee.

The Real Cost of Ignoring It

The published annual payment figure looks small on its own — a few thousand naira. The expensive part is what happens when it’s ignored. Since CAC began strict enforcement of its Companies Regulations 2021 penalties in January 2024, unpaid annual returns accumulate charges against the company and its directors personally, year after year, until eventually the business risks being struck off the register altogether — at which point re-registration costs far more than simply staying current would have.

Bottom line: budget roughly ₦5,000–₦10,000 a year for CAC annual payment if you’re a business name or limited company filing on time, and treat that as one of the cheapest, most predictable compliance costs in running a Nigerian business — cheaper, certainly, than what it costs to fix once it’s overdue.