A Nigerian man has shared his frustration online after a relative he had generously supported returned to ask for more money months after receiving millions to start a business.
In a post shared on X (Twitter), the man narrated how he had been financially assisting a family member repeatedly until he decided to put an end to the cycle by offering a large sum of money as a grant.
“I’ve got this family member who’s always asking me for one thing or the other. A few months back, I decided to end the cycle of constant handouts and gave him a substantial amount, not as a loan but as a grant. I mean tens of millions to start a business with the clear agreement that he’d never come back to ask me for money ever again.
That was in July. This morning, he hit me up asking for money again, and I haven’t been this mad in a long minute. Honestly, how does one deal with this black tax problem?”
His post sparked widespread discussion online, with many users sympathizing with his frustration and sharing their own experiences with financially dependent relatives.
Others weighed in on the concept of ‘black tax,’ a term commonly used to describe the financial pressure on employed or successful individuals to support extended family members.
Below are some of the comments;
“TBH, the person you dey vex for na yourself. I have found the best way to deal with people is for you to pay for them to learn a skill. If they fail at this, don’t waste your time with these ones. Move on.”
“Welcome to the club. That starting a business move is the ultimate scam. I think the best way to reduce black tax is to create something like a family Venmo. Let everyone in the family know what you gave, and let all requests be seen by everyone. People will behave or be cautioned.”
“Stop indulging them and make peace with your decision. Giving a lot of money to someone who has shown they’re incapable of creating value was the mistake. They were always going to exhaust it and come back for more. You don’t even have to say much. Just move on.”
