What is the Lagos Government saying about TikToker Peller’s N36 million tax claim?

The Lagos State Government has weighed in on the claims made by Habeeb Hazmat, aka Peller, about an N36 million tax demand that was allegedly issued to him.

Per Punch, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue, Abdulkabir Ogungbo, asserted on behalf of the government that the IRS has made the best call on all issues relating to tax. Speaking with the outlet, Ogungbo, who also works as the adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said:

“I need to take a look at this particular case in detail, but generally, the LIRS is empowered by law to assess and give the best judgment on behalf of the government.”

Here's everything we know about Peller's claims and how the State Government has reacted:

Abdulkabir Ogungbo pointed out that Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution explicitly mandates that every income-earning citizen declare their income and pay their share of taxes. When probed about whether online influencers fell under this umbrella, he remarked that there were new reforms in place for digital assets and virtual transactions.

Speaking with The Punch, Abdulkabir Ogungbo said,

“Personal income tax applies regardless of whether you earn physically or virtually. If you live in Lagos and use its infrastructure while making money, you are expected to remit tax to the LIRS—unless you can prove that you already pay tax to another jurisdiction.”

For the unversed, in a now-viral video, Peller, the 20-year-old content creator, can be seen lamenting the hefty tax bill he was issued:

“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?” Peller said.

However, Ogungbo has since provided further clarification on the matter:

“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. So from that context, irrespective of the location, either virtually or physically, you’re meant to remit your tax to the approved authority, which is the LIRS. 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. But as it relates to personal income tax, irrespective, you’re meant to pay tax.”

He said of Peller's case:

“But I do not have this particular case on my table for me to determine. Because we have a body (the LIRS) that is autonomous and that is very efficient in what they do. So Let me investigate and revert to you.”

As of this writing, the LIRS themselves have yet to address the issue.

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

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