Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Government has reiterated that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) makes the best judgment on issues of taxation.
This clarification comes after popular TikToker and content creator, Habeeb Hamzat, aka Peller, expressed dismay over a purported N36m tax bill from the state government.
In a viral video, Peller lamented, “The task force said I should pay N36m 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 N36m? 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?”
Abdulkabir Ogungbo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue, explained to The Punch that the LIRS is responsible for assessing and giving the best judgment on taxation. He noted that anyone earning legitimately within the state must pay tax, citing Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Ogungbo stated, “I need to take a look at this particular context in question. But generally, the LIRS is an autonomous body saddled with the responsibility of assessing and giving the best judgment on behalf of the government… So the context around the size, the quantum and what have you, needs to be properly investigated and we can revert.”
Regarding taxation for content creators, Ogungbo explained that new reforms guide digital assets and virtual transactions.
He said, “Naturally, the law allows for personal income tax, meaning that when you earn a living or earn anything from what you do legitimately, you are supposed to pay tax… But from the context of around digital assets and their complementary vocations, which mainly talk about this virtual transaction, the new reforms take care of that.”
Ogungbo added that the government would investigate Peller’s case and revert, emphasizing the importance of tax payment for legitimate earners in the state.
