Stamp duty on leases in Nigeria
From 1 January 2026 stamp duty on a lease in Nigeria is charged under the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, which repealed the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8). Item 22 of the Act’s Ninth Schedule charges 0.78% for a term of up to 7 years and 3% for a longer term, payable by the lessee; the old 6% band for terms over 21 years is gone. Section 134 takes lease agreements with an annual value below NGN 10,000,000 (or 10 times the annual minimum wage, if higher) out of charge. An instrument must be stamped within 30 days of execution, and an unstamped lease is not admissible in evidence except in criminal proceedings. Read from the Official Gazette copy of the Act on 31 October 2026.
| Fee | Amount | Legal basis | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty on a lease (demise) for a term of up to 7 years Payable by the lessee. The Schedule gives the rate but does not say whether it is applied to one year's rent or to the total rent for the term; check the assessment with the revenue service. Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | 0.78% ad valorem | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (Act No. 7), Chapter Five, Ninth Schedule (Dutiable Instruments; Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112), item 22 'Demise (see Lease)' | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Stamp duty on a lease (demise) for a term above 7 years Payable by the lessee. The Schedule has two bands only (up to 7 years, above 7 years); the 6% band for terms above 21 years under the repealed Stamp Duties Act does not appear. Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | 3% ad valorem | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (Act No. 7), Chapter Five, Ninth Schedule (Dutiable Instruments; Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112), item 22 'Demise (see Lease)' | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Lease agreements not chargeable with duty: annual value threshold Section 134 (Gazette copy): lease agreements whose annual value is less than N10,000,000 or 10 times the annual minimum wage, whichever is higher, are not chargeable. The Schedule's exemption column for item 22 instead says 'Property of an annual value less than N1,000,000'. The two figures conflict; the section is in the body of the Act. Confirm with the revenue service. Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | NGN 10,000,000 annual value (or 10 times the annual minimum wage, whichever is higher) | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Chapter Five, Part II (Leases), s.134 in the Gazette copy | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Agreement for a lease Charged with the same duty as if it were the actual lease for the term and consideration in the agreement (s.134, Gazette copy). Applies on the grant of a lease or sublease or the assignment of a lease. Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | Rule (see notes) | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Chapter Five, Part II (Leases) | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Deadline to stamp an instrument executed in Nigeria Every dutiable instrument executed in Nigeria must be stamped not later than 30 days after execution by the person required to pay (s.125(1), Gazette copy). Duty may be denoted by tax stamps, a die, electronic tagging, electronic receipt or certificate (s.124). Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | 30 days after execution | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Chapter Five, Part I | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
| Use of an unstamped lease in evidence An unstamped dutiable instrument is not admissible in evidence in any court, judicial or arbitration proceedings, except criminal proceedings (s.126, Gazette copy). Offences and penalties sit in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 and are not tabulated here. Read from the Gazette copy (Official Gazette No. 117, Vol. 112, 26 June 2025, pp. A385-A596) at the tat.gov.ng address, whose file name says 'Tax Administration Act' but whose content is the Nigeria Tax Act. In force 1 January 2026; the Stamp Duties Act (Cap. S8) is repealed. | Rule (see notes) | Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Chapter Five, Part I | tat.gov.ng Checked 31 October 2026 |
How the table was checked
Each row was compiled from the official source linked next to it (legislation, regulations or the registry’s own fee schedule) and then checked a second time, row by row, against the same source. Government fees only: agent, lawyer and notary fees are not included. Fees change, so open the official source before you file.
- Base of the rate. Item 22 gives a percentage but not the base (one year's rent, average annual rent, or total rent for the term). Not stated in the rows.
- Conflicting thresholds. s.134 exempts leases with an annual value below N10,000,000 (or 10 x the annual minimum wage, if higher); the Schedule's exemption column for item 22 says N1,000,000. Both are recorded; the conflict is unresolved.
- The minimum-wage figure is not stated: the Minimum Wage Act was not read for this table.
- Which authority collects (Nigeria Revenue Service for companies, state internal revenue services for individuals) and offences and penalties under the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 are not tabulated.
- No implementing regulations or NRS/state guidance on lease duty were found or read.
How to cite
“Stamp duty on leases in Nigeria” by Forms Legal, https://forms-legal.com/facts/nigeria-lease-stamp-duty. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
@misc{formslegal_nigeria_lease_stamp_duty,
author = {{Forms Legal}},
title = {Stamp duty on leases in Nigeria},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Forms Legal},
url = {https://forms-legal.com/facts/nigeria-lease-stamp-duty},
howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/facts/nigeria-lease-stamp-duty}},
note = {Dataset. Licensed under CC BY 4.0}
}Link to a single row with its anchor (click the fee name to get it), or use the “Copy citation” button in the row. The table was added on 31 October 2026 and is not yet part of the DOI-archived release of the Forms Legal fact tables, so cite this page and its check date. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.
Rules change: dated changes to the law in Nigeria are listed in the legal changes log.
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Reference data, not legal advice. Forms Legal is not a law firm.