Online content creator and streamer, Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat, has faulted the Lagos State Government over an alleged N36 million income tax bill issued to him by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).
In a viral clip from a recent livestream with singer Tobechukwu “Peruzzi” Okoh, the 20-year-old TikTok personality claimed the government’s demand was unjust, insisting he had never earned an income from Nigeria.
According to Peller, the N36 million tax bill notice followed his interview on TVC where he had stated he was making money from TikTok, a statement he now says was exaggerated.
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“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,” he said.
Peller, who won “Best Content Creator” at the 2024 Trace Awards & Festival, stressed that no state government official had ever assisted or sponsored him since his rise to fame.
However, Peruzzi, who was present during the conversation, advised the young creator to settle the bill to avoid potential legal trouble.
“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. 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 said.
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