Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat, a well-known Nigerian content creator, has criticized the Lagos State Government for what he called exorbitant taxes.
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) demanded N36 million in income tax from Peller, according to a viral video taken from a recent livestream featuring singer Tobechukwu Okoh, also known as Peruzzi.
He insisted that no government official had ever sent him gifts on TikTok and that he had never benefited from the state government.
Peller said, “The task force said I should pay N36 million in tax. I swear to Almighty Allah, I don’t have anything. I only came into the limelight last year. Are you, Peruzzi, even paying tax, and how much is it? Why should I pay N36 million? What does that even mean? Why will the government take money from me when it has never given me anything, not even TikTok support, let alone help from a task force member?
“I know this is because of my interview on TVC, where I said I was making money on TikTok. It was all packaging; I didn’t make any money. I don’t earn from Nigeria; my money comes from social media. I don’t work in any company, and I don’t have anything”
However, Peruzzi suggested that Peller pay his tax bill in order to prevent potential state government penalties.
Peruzzi asked, “Why haven’t you paid your taxes? As a Nigerian, you know you must pay tax. The government doesn’t care whether you only came into the limelight last year. Do you know how much I pay in tax? I won’t mention it here, but it’s more than the bill they gave you.
“You must pay it; if you don’t, the government will arrest you. They asked you to pay because you’re making money. Once they arrest you, you can go to their office and explain that your interview on TVC was just packaging, but remember, if you’re earning money in Nigeria, you must pay tax,” he concluded.
