The Lagos State Government has reiterated that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service makes the best judgment on issues of taxation.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue, Abdulkabir Ogungbo, hinted at this following TikTok influencer Habeeb Hamzat aka Peller’s lamentation over a purported N36m tax bill, which he claimed he got from Lagos State.

The young content creator and online streamer criticised the state government last week over what he described as excessive taxation.

In a viral video recorded from a livestream with singer Tobechukwu Okoh aka Peruzzi, the 20-year-old TikToker revealed that the government demanded N36m in income tax from him.

“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 lamented.

Speaking in an interview with THE PUNCH on Tuesday, Ogungbo said he would look at the context of Peller’s issue later on and revert, but noted that anyone earning legitimately within the state must pay tax.

“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. We may need to engage the LIRS as an office to know about this particular case. But within the context of personal income, anybody who is legitimately earning, Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution stipulates that when you earn your living and income legitimately, you are meant to declare that honestly to the authorities. So the context around the size, the quantum and what have you, needs to be properly investigated and we can revert,” the SA said.