Abuja Resident Outraged Over Tax Demand for Household Electronics.
An Abuja resident has expressed his frustration after receiving a letter from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) demanding payment of taxes for using household electronics, including televisions and radios.
The resident, who goes by the username @Bingel_Baba’am on X (formerly Twitter), described the notice as one of the most absurd demands he has ever encountered.
The letter requested payment for “Television, Radio, Electronics, and other related devices,” suggesting that residents must pay taxes simply for owning and using these items in their private homes.
Expressing disbelief, he wrote:
“We received a letter today demanding that we pay for using our TV and other services. This is the craziest thing I have ever come across. Should we pay for watching our own TV with our electricity and satellite subscription? Lmfaoooo.”
His post quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of reactions from fellow Nigerians, many of whom shared their outrage and frustration over what they deemed an “unreasonable tax.”
Another user on X, @IamGbono, highlighted the multiple taxes that citizens already pay, questioning why additional levies are being imposed on basic household items. He pointed out:
“When the TV was imported, the importer paid import duties and VAT. When the importer sells the TV, they are meant to remit part of the proceeds as Company Income Tax and VAT (which is already billed to the customer).
As the buyer, you pay VAT when purchasing the TV, pay for Netflix, internet, and DStv (all VAT inclusive), buy your electricity (VAT inclusive), or fuel (VAT inclusive) to watch the TV you bought with your hard-earned, already taxed income.
And now, the government wants you to pay consumption tax for watching that TV!”
He added bitterly, “We are expected to pay taxes as if we live in the UK, yet we suffer as if we live in Nigeria. If we don’t act now, this will continue until we can’t even feed ourselves anymore!”
This incident has reignited discussions around Nigeria’s burdensome tax system and poor governance, with many citizens questioning the legality and morality of such levies, especially amid ongoing economic hardship in the country.
As of the time of this report, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has not issued an official statement clarifying the authenticity or purpose of the controversial tax notice.
