Iyabo Ojo, a Nollywood actress, has been given seven days by the Lagos state government to pay a total of N18,640,092 in personal income tax.
Iyabo Ojo owes N7,376,000.00 in taxes for the year 2022 and N11,264,092 in unpaid taxes for the tax year 2021, according to the Lagos government.
The actress was given seven days to pay off the debt or face consequences.
Iyabo Ojo criticized the approach taken to calculate the tax amount in her response to the letter.
The actress made a suggestion that she would refuse to pay and was prepared to be arrested.
“Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu, please, how do you people come up with these outrageous personal income taxes you send on a daily basis?,” she reportedly said, according to PM News.
“Even after paying various taxes on one’s enterprises, home, and other assets, you still come up with this enormous sum and give me seven days to pay up, lol. The last time you requested me to visit your office, I did, and you asked me to explain and declare my income, which I did with the help of my tax advisor. However, you did not reply to my letter because you wanted me to give you an extravagant sum of money that I did not have, making me look like a crook, don’t you think? I inquire once more, “How do you folks come up with such astronomical bills?
“I have no idea how much you believe I make. As a result, your team will reach this judgment.
What have you as a government ever done for me? NOTHING!!! Without receiving a single dollar from the government, I have raised myself, my children, and a large number of others all by myself. Yet you think you have a right to reap a return of more than 100% on your investment.
“I have worked tirelessly and continue to do so in order to live in this country without the assistance of the government, but you just sit in your office and create a variety of outrageous bills,” the speaker said. Even when everything in this country is broken, you still feel the need to take from places you haven’t made a commitment to. We will all pass away one day, and as long as you people insist, you are welcome to come shut down my business, arrest me, put me in jail, or even kill me. I won’t be terrified of what will ultimately happen to everyone. I can’t give what I don’t have. I am NOT AFRAID.