Blog Content

How much does CAC annual returns cost in Nigeria

This is the question every business owner eventually asks — usually right before filing for the first time, or right after discovering they’ve missed a few years. Here’s the full cost picture, broken down by scenario.

Base Costs by Entity Type (Filed On Time)

Entity type	Approximate CAC filing fee
Business name	₦5,000
Private limited company	₦5,000–₦10,000
Incorporated trustees (NGO)	Comparable to companies

These are the statutory CAC charges for a single, current, on-time filing — before any penalties, agent fees, or related add-ons.

Cost When Filing Late

Late filing adds a penalty on top of the base fee, charged separately for each outstanding year:

• Company: approximately ₦5,000 penalty per year of default, in addition to the ₦5,000–₦10,000 fee for that year
• Business name: approximately ₦2,500–₦5,000 penalty per year of default, in addition to the ₦5,000 fee for that year

So a company one year behind might pay ₦10,000–₦15,000 total for that year; two years behind roughly doubles that; and so on. There is no cap or discount for bulk back-filing — each year is priced individually.

Cost If You Use a Professional Agent

Many business owners choose to have an accredited CAC agent or consultant handle the filing rather than doing it themselves on the portal — particularly useful if you’re clearing multiple years of arrears or need help compiling financial statements or a Statement of Affairs. Professional service fees for this typically range from ₦15,000 to ₦75,000 per filing year, depending on the agent, the entity type, and how much cleanup work is involved.

Full Realistic Budget

Putting it together, here’s what to expect in practice:

• Business name, filed on time, self-filed: ₦5,000
• Company, filed on time, self-filed: ₦5,000–₦10,000
• Business name, 1 year late, self-filed: roughly ₦7,500–₦10,000
• Company, 1 year late, self-filed: roughly ₦10,000–₦15,000
• Any entity, using a professional agent: add ₦15,000–₦75,000 in service fees on top of the above

What Drives the Cost Up

Three things push the total cost higher than the base figure:

1. Time — every additional year of default adds another full year’s fee plus penalty
2. Entity complexity — companies generally cost more than business names, and larger companies with more directors or share capital changes can attract additional related filing fees
3. Professional help — convenient, but it’s an added cost on top of the statutory charge, not a replacement for it

The Cheapest Way to Handle It

Filing every year, on time, without ever falling behind, is by far the cheapest path — typically ₦5,000–₦10,000 a year, full stop. The moment a filing is missed, costs start compounding in a way that’s entirely avoidable with a simple annual reminder tied to your company’s AGM or your business name’s registration anniversary.

Bottom line: budget ₦5,000–₦10,000 annually if you stay current, and treat any bigger number you’re quoted as a signal that either arrears, agent fees, or both are involved.

How much does CAC annual returns cost in Nigeria