By Emeka Blast 
Lagos State Slams Peller with ₦36 Million Tax Bill, He Appeals
Popular TikTok star Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, has publicly decried a staggering ₦36 million tax demand from the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), calling it excessive and unfair given his recent rise to fame. The 20-year-old content creator, who gained prominence in 2024, made the revelation during a viral livestream with singer Peruzzi, pleading for leniency and igniting a firestorm of debate about taxation policies for digital creators in Nigeria.
In the livestream, Peller expressed shock at the LIRS demand, stating, “The task force said I should pay ₦36 million in tax. I swear to Almighty Allah, I don’t have anything. I only came into the limelight last year. Why should I pay ₦36 million? Why will the government take money from me when it has never given me anything, not even TikTok support?” He attributed the hefty bill to a TVC interview where he exaggerated his earnings, claiming, “It was all packaging; I didn’t make any money.” Peruzzi, in response, advised compliance to avoid legal trouble, revealing his own tax payments exceed Peller’s bill but urged him to negotiate an extension.
The Lagos State Government, through Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tax and Revenue, Abdulkabir Ogungbo, defended the LIRS’s actions on August 19, 2025, emphasizing that all residents earning income, including digital creators, are subject to taxation under Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution. “If you live in Lagos and benefit from its infrastructure, you are expected to pay tax here, unless you prove you’re paying elsewhere,” Ogungbo told The PUNCH. He promised to review Peller’s case but stressed that the LIRS operates autonomously and efficiently in assessing taxes.
The controversy has fueled public outrage, with many Nigerians questioning the transparency and fairness of the tax assessment. Social media platforms, particularly X, have been abuzz, with #PellerTax trending. @Naija_PR tweeted, “Peller cries out over ₦36m tax bill from Lagos Govt—unfair for someone just starting! #TaxDispute,” while @AdekunleOderind posted, “Peller said he didn’t want to talk politics, but now he’s shouting over ₦36m tax. We learn the hard way 😂.” Critics argue the amount is disproportionate for a young influencer, while supporters of the government, like @APCDefender, countered, “If you’re making money in Lagos, pay your dues. No one’s above the law.”
This is not the first time the LIRS has clashed with entertainers. In 2023, actress Iyabo Ojo challenged an ₦18 million tax demand, highlighting ongoing tensions between the state and creatives. The lack of an official LIRS statement on how Peller’s ₦36 million figure was calculated has further stoked public curiosity, with attempts to reach LIRS’s Head of Corporate Communications, Monsurat Amasa, going unanswered.
Peller’s rise to fame, marked by his witty content and collaborations with celebrities like Olamide and Victor Boniface, has made him a household name, earning him the “Best Content Creator” award at the 2024 Trace Awards. His plea for relief underscores the challenges faced by Nigeria’s burgeoning digital economy, where influencers often lack clarity on tax obligations. Legal experts, like those cited on Elawyer, suggest Peller could challenge the assessment under the Personal Income Tax Act by providing evidence of his actual earnings.
