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
Under Nigeria's Tax Administration Act 2025, a taxpayer can file itself or be represented by a tax agent accredited by the relevant tax authority, and a return is not treated as duly filed unless the taxpayer or an accredited agent files it (s.33). So you can prepare a Nigerian client's figures from Canada, but you can only file in your own name if you hold the accreditation the tax authority sets; otherwise the client files. The fee you charge is Canadian business income for you.
Preparing is not the same as filing
Plenty of Nigerian accountants in Toronto, Calgary and Halifax still keep the books for family businesses and old clients at home. The 2025 Act draws a clear line between the work and the filing. Section 33(1) says a taxpayer "may either represent itself or be represented by a tax agent accredited by the relevant tax authority". Section 33(2) leaves the accreditation requirements to that authority, and section 33(3) says no return shall be deemed duly filed except one filed by the taxpayer or an accredited tax agent on the taxpayer's behalf. Section 33(4) adds a declaration: an agent attests to appropriate technical competence and professional ethics.
In practice that leaves you two models. Either you prepare the schedules and the client submits through its own tax portal login, or you become accredited and file as the agent. Which authority is "relevant" depends on the tax: federal taxes go to the Nigeria Revenue Service, and personal income tax for most individuals goes to the state internal revenue service where they live. The Act text we read does not set out the accreditation steps or say whether a non-resident can be accredited, so ask the authority before you promise a client you will file.
Deadlines your clients are working to
| Return | Deadline in the 2025 Act |
|---|---|
| Company in business more than 18 months | Not more than six months after the end of its accounting year (s.11(5)(a)) |
| Newly incorporated company | Within 18 months of incorporation or six months after its first accounting period, whichever is earlier (s.11(5)(b)) |
| Employer return on employees' pay | Not later than 31 January each year (s.14(1)) |
| Individual's return of income | Each year of assessment, without notice or demand (s.13(1)); confirm the date with the state service |
Section 11(6)(b) also matters if you act for a company: where a company's designated representative is a paid agent, that agent must be an accredited tax agent. Your client also needs its tax ID in order; the Nigeria library explains how a business gets a Tax ID.
Your own side: Canadian tax and registration
- Income. Fees from Nigerian clients are business income on your Canadian return, reported on Form T2125, converted at a rate the CRA accepts. See naira income on the T2125.
- Nigerian withholding. A Nigerian company client paying you as a non-resident for professional services generally deducts withholding tax; PwC lists 10% (reviewed May 2026). Agree whether your fee is gross or net, and collect the receipt so you can claim a foreign tax credit.
- GST/HST. Professional services to a non-resident are generally zero-rated under section 23 as described in Memorandum 4-5-3. Keep engagement letters showing the client is outside Canada.
- Canadian returns. If you also prepare Canadian returns for pay, the CRA requires preparers paid for more than five returns a year to file electronically and register for EFILE. That rule is about Canadian returns, not Nigerian ones.
Protecting yourself and your clients
- Put the scope in writing: preparation only, or preparation and filing as accredited agent.
- If the client files, say so in the letter, and have the client confirm it has reviewed the return before submission.
- Keep copies of the source records the client sent, the schedules you prepared and the filing acknowledgement. The CRA asks you to keep records for your own business for six years.
- Do not hold the client's portal password unless the authority's rules allow agent access that way; ask for agent access instead.
- Check professional indemnity cover for work on foreign tax.
Common situations and how they play out
- A family business in Lagos. You prepare the company accounts and tax computation; a director in Nigeria files through the company's own login. Your engagement letter says you are not the filing agent.
- Payroll for a small Nigerian employer. The employer return on staff pay is due by 31 January each year under s.14(1). If you prepare it, build that date into your calendar alongside Canadian deadlines.
- A relative's personal return. Personal income tax is usually handled by the state where the person lives. Confirm with that state service how the return is filed and whether an agent may submit it.
- A client who wants you as its named representative. Under s.11(6)(b), a paid agent acting as a company's designated representative must be accredited. Do not accept that role until you are.
A note on titles
Describe your qualifications exactly as they stand: a Nigerian qualification, a Canadian one, or both. Accounting titles in Canada are regulated provincially and were not reviewed for this guide.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Business Account lets Nigerian clients pay you in naira and others in US dollars, pounds or euros, each balance kept in its own currency (business multicurrency). The Finance agent can prepare invoices and reconcile payments for you to approve, and invoicing keeps a record of what was billed and paid.
Questions people ask
Can I file Nigerian tax returns for clients while I live in Canada?
Only as an accredited tax agent of the relevant Nigerian tax authority, under s.33 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025. Otherwise prepare the return and let the client file it.
Who sets the rules for tax agent accreditation in Nigeria?
The relevant tax authority, under s.33(2) of the 2025 Act: the Nigeria Revenue Service for federal taxes and the state service for most personal income tax.
When are Nigerian company tax returns due?
For a company in business more than 18 months, not more than six months after its accounting year ends, under s.11(5)(a) of the 2025 Act.
Do I charge GST/HST to Nigerian clients?
Professional services to non-residents are generally zero-rated, as explained in CRA Memorandum 4-5-3. Keep evidence that the client is outside Canada.
Sources
- Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025 (gazette copy) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Nigeria, corporate withholding taxes (reviewed 29 May 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA GST/HST Memorandum 4-5-3, Exports: services and intangible personal property (Dec 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: EFILE eligibility for tax preparers · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Where to keep your records, how long to keep them (modified 3 Aug 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.