Iyabo Ojo Challenges Lagos State Government Over Hefty N18.6 Million Tax Levy, Refuses to Pay

Renowned actress in the Yoruba Nollywood industry, Iyabo Ojo has expressed her profound frustration and bewilderment with the Lagos State Government regarding a hefty personal income tax levy of N18,640,092, which was issued to her by the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS). The notification arrived on Monday, carrying with it a seven-day deadline for payment. The actress openly declared her refusal to comply, adding that she’s prepared for the potential consequences, including arrest, that might result from her non-compliance.

The popular actress took to her Instagram platform to publicly share the incident, posting images of the tax notice duly signed on LIRS’s letterhead. However, the actress didn’t just express her objection to the huge levy but also questioned the mechanisms and processes underlying the government’s frequent issuance of such substantial tax demands.

In a post she subsequently deleted, the actress addressed the Lagos State government, led by Jide Sanwoolu, questioning the rationale behind the high frequency and amount of personal income taxes she’s been receiving. She wrote, “Jidesanwoolu @lagosstategovt, please, how do you people come up with these outrageous personal income taxes you send on a daily basis?” She further stressed her confusion about the heavy levy despite her already paying numerous forms of taxes related to her businesses, properties, and more.

Iyabo Ojo recounted her visit to the LIRS office, where she offered detailed explanations of her income and earnings as a businesswoman. Despite her efforts to clarify her financial situation, she was nonetheless slapped with an exorbitant levy from the state government.

Sarcastically, she asked whether she should resort to theft to meet such absurd demands. “Make I go theif ni?” she quipped, questioning again the methodologies behind the government’s computation of tax liabilities. “I don’t know how much you think I get paid. Hence, your team will come up with this conclusion.”

Moreover, the actress challenged the government on its role in improving her life, emphasizing that she has been single-handedly taking care of herself, her children, and others without any assistance from the government. Despite this, the government seems to feel entitled to extract more than 100% in taxes from her earnings. She lamented, “Nothing is working right in this country, but yet you feel the need to take from where you have not sown.”

Reinforcing her position, she openly invited the government to arrest and jail her, even threatening to shut down her business, rather than succumbing to the tax levy.

In the tax notice sent to Iyabo Ojo, LIRS demanded a total sum of N18,640,092.00 as personal income tax, warning her to comply within seven days or face legal repercussions. As per the Lagos government’s claim, she owed N7,376,000.00 for the 2022 income year, along with an outstanding liability of N11,264,092 from the previous year, 2021.