Popular Nigerian content creator Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat has criticised the Lagos State Government for what he described as excessive taxation.
In a viral video recorded from a recent livestream with singer Tobechukwu Okoh, popularly called Peruzzi, Peller revealed that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) demanded N36 million in income tax from him.
He maintained that he has never received any benefits from the state government, nor did any government official ever send him gifts on TikTok.
“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 any.”
Peruzzi, however, advised Peller to settle his tax bill to avoid possible sanctions by the State government.
He schooled Peller on the importance of paying taxes, stressing that as long as he earned income in Nigeria, he was obliged to pay his tax.
“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,” Peruzzi told Peller.
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