AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Often, yes. Under Nigeria's 2024 withholding tax regulations a company paying a non-resident for professional, consultancy, technical or management services deducts 10%, and for a non-resident without a Nigerian tax presence that is described as a final tax. The Nigeria-Ghana tax treaty is not in force, so there is no treaty rate; ask the client for the WHT receipt and ask GRA whether Ghana will credit it.
What withholding tax is
Withholding tax (WHT) is tax a payer deducts from a payment and pays to the tax authority on the recipient's behalf. Nigeria uses it widely on payments for services. If you invoice a Nigerian company ₦1,000,000 for consultancy from Accra, the company may pay you ₦900,000 and remit ₦100,000 to the Nigeria Revenue Service. This page is information, not tax advice.
The rates and who deducts
| Point | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Regulations | Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations 2024, effective 1 July 2024 |
| Who deducts | Everyone except individuals, per PwC's highlights; so companies and other organisations, not a private person |
| Rate on professional, consultancy, technical, management fees | 5% for residents, 10% for non-residents |
| Status for non-residents | Final tax, unless the recipient has a Nigerian tax presence |
| No Nigerian tax ID | Twice the rate may apply on some payments; PwC notes this affects non-residents in practice |
| Small-company relief | Small companies need not deduct in some cases where the recipient has a TIN and the monthly amount is within a limit |
These points come from Mondaq's overview of the 2024 regulations and PwC's highlights. Whether the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 has changed any of these rates was not confirmed on the pages we checked; ask the client's finance team which rate they are applying and why.
Is there a Ghana-Nigeria treaty rate?
No, not yet. PwC's Nigeria withholding tax page, reviewed 29 May 2026, lists Ghana among the ECOWAS treaties that Nigeria has ratified but the other countries have not, so they are not in force. Without a treaty in force, there is no reduced treaty rate and no treaty procedure for a Ghanaian resident to claim. Our page on the Ghana-Nigeria tax treaty tracks this.
Worked example
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Invoice | ₦2,000,000 |
| WHT deducted at 10% | ₦200,000 |
| Paid to you | ₦1,800,000 |
| If the 'twice the rate' rule were applied (20%) | ₦400,000 deducted; ₦1,600,000 paid |
If you need ₦2,000,000 in hand, your invoice must be ₦2,222,223 (₦2,222,223 less 10% is ₦2,000,000.70). That is why the contract should say whether the fee is gross or net of WHT.
Can you get it back in Ghana?
Because the deduction from a non-resident is described as a final tax in Nigeria, you do not normally file in Nigeria to reclaim it. The question is whether Ghana gives you credit against your Ghanaian tax on the same income. That is a Ghanaian rule, not a Nigerian one, and we could not confirm it from an official Ghanaian page. Ask GRA or a Ghanaian tax practitioner, and keep the receipt either way.
The receipt you should get
Under the 2024 regulations, the deducting client issues the receipt. Mondaq's overview says it should show the parties' names, addresses and tax IDs, the nature of the transaction, the gross amount, the tax deducted and the month. PwC notes that the recipient gets credit even if the client failed to remit, and that a client issuing receipts without remitting is liable. Ask for the receipt with each payment. Our Nigeria guide on getting WHT credit notes back covers chasing them.
If the client deducts the wrong amount
Mistakes happen in both directions. A client's finance team used to paying Nigerian suppliers may apply the 5% resident rate, which leaves the client short with the tax authority and can come back to you as a later demand for the difference. Or it may treat you as having no tax ID and deduct twice the rate. Either way, raise it as soon as the payment lands, not at year end. Send the client a short note stating that you are resident in Ghana, that you have no permanent establishment in Nigeria, and which rate you understand applies, and ask its finance team to confirm the rate it used and the legal basis. If the client has over-deducted, ask whether it will correct the next payment or refund you directly; once the tax has been remitted, getting it back from the tax authority is slow, so agreeing the right rate before the first invoice is far easier than fixing it afterwards.
What to put in the contract
- Whether fees are gross (WHT comes out of your fee) or net (the client grosses up).
- That the client will give you the WHT receipt within a stated time.
- Whether you will give the client a tax ID, so the higher no-TIN rate is avoided.
- Your residence, so the client applies the non-resident rate and not a resident one.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account opened from Ghana can receive the net naira payment, and Invoicing lets you record the gross fee and the amount withheld on each invoice. The Finance agent can prepare reminders to chase missing WHT receipts.
Questions people ask
What is the WHT rate on payments to non-residents in Nigeria?
Under the 2024 regulations, 10% on professional, consultancy, technical and management fees, described as final tax for non-residents without a Nigerian tax presence.
Does the Ghana-Nigeria double tax treaty reduce WHT?
No. PwC lists the Ghana treaty as ratified by Nigeria but not by Ghana, so it is not in force.
Can I claim Nigerian WHT back in Ghana?
That depends on Ghana's foreign tax credit rules. Ask GRA, and keep the client's WHT receipt.
Do individuals in Nigeria deduct WHT when paying me?
PwC's highlights of the 2024 regulations say everyone except individuals deducts.
Sources
- Mondaq: An overview of the Nigerian Withholding Tax Regulations of 2024 · 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.