Nollywood actress explodes over N18m tax from Lagos govt

Ace Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, has called out the Lagos state government over a letter she received to pay N18 million tax. The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration had asked the actress to pay N18,640,092.00 as personal income tax within seven days. It said Ojo has a tax liability of N7,376,000.00 for the year 2022 and an […]

Ace Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, has called out the Lagos state government over a letter she received to pay N18 million tax.

The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration had asked the actress to pay N18,640,092.00 as personal income tax within seven days.

It said Ojo has a tax liability of N7,376,000.00 for the year 2022 and an outstanding liability of N11,264,092 for 2021 income year.

In a post via Instagram which she had since deleted, the movie star shared a photo of the letter where she was told to pay the amount.

The actress directed her anger to Sanwo-Olu and the state government, demanding an explanation for the hefty tax bill.

She questioned the basis for such high personal income taxes and criticised the lack of transparency in the calculation process.

The actress referred to a previous encounter where she complied with the government’s request to explain her earnings and declare her income but received no response.

She wrote: “Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu please, how do you people come up with these outrageous personal income taxes you send on a daily basis.

“After paying for different types of taxes for one’s businesses, house and all, you still come up with all this huge amount and give me 7 days to pay up, lol.

“Last time, you people asked me to come to your office, I came, you asked me to explain and declare what I earn, which I did with my tax consultant, but noooooooooooooo you did not respond to my letter, because you want me to pay you an outrageous amount that I do not have, make i go theif ni? I ask again, ‘How do you people come up with such outrageous bills.’

“I don’t know how much you think I get paid. Hence, your team will come up with this conclusion.

“What have you people ever done for me as a government? NOTHING!! I have single-handedly raised my kids and others without a dime of support from the government but you feel so entitled to reaping 100 percent from a business you didn’t build.

“I have worked and still working tirelessly to survive in this country without the support of the government but you sit in your office and come up with outrageous bills to sniff life out of one’s business.

“You can come and close down my business, arrest me, jail me and kill me for all I care. We will all die one day and I will never be afraid of what will be everyone’s fate. What I don’t have, I cannot give. I have no FEAR.”

The Lagos state government is yet to respond to Ojo’s allegations and demands for an explanation.

This incident is not the first time the actress has publicly voiced her grievances regarding taxation in Lagos.

She shared tax papers on Instagram in 2019, lamenting the excessive taxation that was jeopardising her business.