Online streamer and content creator Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat has criticised the Lagos State Government for what he describes as excessive taxation.
In a viral video recorded from a recent livestream with singer Tobechukwu “Peruzzi” Okoh, the 20-year-old Tiktok revealed that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) demanded N36 million in income tax from him.
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Peller insisted he never received any benefits from the state government, nor did any government official ever send him gifts on TikTok.
The “Best Content Creator” winner at the Trace Awards & Festival in 2024 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?
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“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.”
Pay or go to jail
However, Peruzzi urged Peller to settle his tax bill to avoid possible imprisonment by the government.
The “Lagbaja” crooner reminded Peller of the importance of paying taxes, stressing that as long as he earned income in Nigeria, he was obliged to fulfil his tax obligations.
The 35-year-old stated, “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.
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“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.”
Peller, who gained fame for his witty sarcasm and laid-back approach to streaming, has hosted several celebrities on TikTok Live, including Olamide, Peter “Mr P” Okoye, footballer Victor Boniface, and others.
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