AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
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The short answer
If you live in Ireland and are tax resident here, fees from Nigerian clients are part of your Irish self-employed income, whatever currency they arrive in. Revenue says you register for self-assessment if you are self-employed, file Form 11 by 31 October of the following year, and pay preliminary tax for the current year on the same date. Class S PRSI applies once self-employment income reaches €5,000 a year.
The starting point: where you live, not where the client is
A common assumption is that money earned from a client in Lagos is "Nigerian income" and so outside the Irish system. For a freelancer who lives and works in Ireland, that is the wrong way round. You carry on your trade or profession here; the client is simply a customer abroad. The profit from that work is part of your Irish self-employed income, and Revenue's self-assessment system is how it is taxed.
Residence is the gatekeeper. If you are newly arrived or split your year between countries, read Irish tax residence in your first year first, because it decides whether and how Ireland taxes income from abroad.
Step by step
- Register. Revenue says you should register for Income Tax self-assessment if you are self-employed. Registration is through the eRegistration service in myAccount, or parts A and B of Form TR1. See registering with Form TR1.
- Keep records from day one. Every invoice to a Nigerian client, every payment received, every cost, and the euro equivalent of each naira or dollar amount.
- Pay preliminary tax by 31 October of each tax year. Revenue says it may not be required in your first self-assessed year.
- File Form 11 by 31 October of the following year, usually online through ROS, and pay the balance.
- Include Class S PRSI. Revenue gives 4.2% of gross income up to 30 September 2026 and 4.35% from 1 October 2026, minimum €650, where annual income is at least €5,000.
What you are taxed on
Tax is charged on profit: fees less allowable expenses. Section 81 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 sets the general rule that a deduction is only allowed for money wholly and exclusively laid out for the purposes of the trade or profession, and disallows private or domestic spending. Software subscriptions, a share of broadband used for work, and travel that is purely for a client can qualify; family costs on a trip home do not. See claiming a work trip to Nigeria.
Three things that are different with Nigerian clients
Withholding tax
Nigerian companies often deduct withholding tax (WHT) from fees. PwC's Nigeria summary, reviewed 29 May 2026, lists 10% for technical, professional, management and consultancy fees paid to non-resident companies and says it is a final tax for them; the position for individuals is less clearly set out there. In Ireland, you report the gross fee. Whether any Irish relief is available for the Nigerian tax is a separate, technical question; see recovering Nigerian withholding tax.
VAT
Revenue's general rule is that services to a business customer are supplied where the customer is established, whether it is in the EU or not. A Nigerian company is therefore not charged Irish VAT. Private clients outside the EU are covered by a separate list. See Irish VAT for clients in Nigeria.
Currency
Your Irish return is in euro. When a client pays in naira, record the euro value with one consistent method and keep the evidence. A naira balance that you have not converted is still income when earned; the currency does not delay the tax.
A worked year
Example. Obinna, a Limerick-based UX designer, starts freelancing in January 2026. Over the year he invoices two Lagos companies the equivalent of €38,000. One deducts Nigerian WHT, so he receives less cash than he invoiced; he records the gross fee. His allowable costs are €5,000, so his profit is €33,000.
- He registers for self-assessment in January 2026.
- By 31 October 2026 he may pay no preliminary tax for 2026, because his 2025 self-assessed liability was nil; Revenue gives this as the usual first-year position.
- By 31 October 2027 he files the 2026 Form 11, pays the 2026 balance, and pays preliminary tax for 2027.
- His Class S PRSI for 2026 is part of the 2026 liability. As a rough guide, 4.2% of €33,000 is €1,386; Revenue's system applies the correct rates for the year when he files.
What to check first
- Your tax residence for the year.
- Whether your immigration permission allows self-employment; see freelancing on Stamp 2.
- Whether you also have PAYE income, which changes when you must register; see freelance income on top of a PAYE job.
- What your contract says about withholding tax, currency and late payment.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account holds euro and naira with local account details for each, so Nigerian clients can pay in naira and you convert with Swap when you choose; the rate and the fee are shown before you approve. Invoicing and the Finance agent help prepare invoices and records for your return, with you approving each step.
Questions people ask
Do I pay Irish tax on money from Nigerian clients?
If you live and work in Ireland and are tax resident here, the fees are part of your Irish self-employed income and go through self-assessment.
When is the Irish tax return due for freelancers?
Revenue's guide says by 31 October of the year after the tax year, with preliminary tax for the current year on the same date.
Does my Nigerian client deducting tax mean I do not pay Irish tax?
No. Report the gross fee in Ireland. Whether Irish relief is available for Nigerian withholding tax is a separate question.
Do I charge my Nigerian client Irish VAT?
Under Revenue's general B2B rule, no: services to a business customer are supplied where the customer is established.
Sources
- Revenue: Who should register for Income Tax self-assessment (published 15 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Revenue: Guide to self-assessment · accessed Oct 2026
- Revenue: Preliminary tax (published 15 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Revenue: PRSI for the self-employed (published 15 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, section 81: General rule as to deductions (Irish Statute Book) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Nigeria, corporate withholding taxes (reviewed 29 May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.