With effect from January next year, ‘runs girls’, popularly known as hook-up girls, will start paying tax in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
In a viral video, Oyedele explained that any income earned from rendering services is taxable and that runs girls are no exception.
He spoke during an awareness session organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David, Lagos.
Oyedele pointed out that upkeep or financial support sent to relatives, dependants, or strangers is excluded from taxation since it qualifies as a “non-exchange transaction.”
He explained: “You earn a certain amount of money and you have to send upkeep to your cousin, your brother, even a stranger, it doesn’t really matter.
“If the amount you’re sending to someone is money you are giving to them as a gift, that’s not taxable. It is you that should have paid tax before giving them a gift.”
However, the reform committee boss made it clear that once money is received in exchange for any form of service or product, it becomes taxable income irrespective of the legality of the transaction.
Oyedele said: “If somebody is doing runs girls, right, they go and look for men to sleep with, you know that’s a service, they will pay tax on it.
“One thing about the tax law is it does not separate between whether what you are doing is legitimate or not. It just asks you whether you have an income.
“Did you get it from rendering a service or providing a good? You pay tax.”
It could be recalled that the National Assembly earlier in the year passed the new tax bill which has since been signed by President Bola Tinubu.
The new framework harmonises tax rules to ease compliance and reduce disputes linked to multiple levies.
Among its highlights are exemptions for individuals who earn below N800,000 annually, as well as reliefs for small businesses with turnover not above N100 million and assets not exceeding N250 million from company income tax, capital gains tax, and the newly introduced development levy.
It takes effect from January, 2026.
