Black Tax is the financial support Black professionals are expected to give their immediate and extended families to meet their needs and wants. It’s a phenomenon that every income-receiving adult in Nigeria can relate to. The moment you graduate from uni, especially if you have received financial support from other family members, you’re expected to get a well-paying job to support other family members in return. It’s a tradition in some families with no one needing to remind you of your responsibility. In fact, failure to act in accordance with this expectation might earn you the label: irresponsible child, stingy, wicked, ungrateful human being and whatever may come to pass here.
While many arguments exist to support and oppose the Black Tax, one thing holds true-its ability to impact our finances negatively. After the budget sharing allocation, there is hardly enough money to save and invest with.
Also in a time when Nigeria is grappling with the huge unemployment, underemployment and inflation rates, the burden of the Black Tax has never been felt so significantly. For the woman, who naturally carries seven mountains of responsibilities on her back, it’s a different ball game altogether. The Black Tax negatively impacts her ability to save not to talk of investments, insurance and retirement funds which then led us to the question, is the Black Tax a responsibility or burden?
To answer this question, we’ve asked five Nigerian women to share their experiences with the Black Tax and leave you the reader, to come up with answers that work for you.
Prisca (34)
For me it was a few months after I got married. Cousins and siblings would start calling to bill me for things that normally should not be my headache and adding that I could ask my husband even if I’m not boxed up. At first, I thought I could keep up with all the requests and even my obligation of taking care of my parents, but as it is now, I struggle a lot. Infact, some times when the month ends and my friends are talking about how they are able to save enough and invest, I start developing another round of headaches, because I am only saving half of what I ought to be if the black tax on me wasn’t this much.
Dami (28)
It was December 2019. I had just gotten my first car. Next thing was a wave of congratulatory calls from different people in my immediate and extended family. What followed shocked me. The calls metamorphosed into wash it for us money, to school fees, house rents and unbelievable ridiculous requests. Naturally I’m wired to be super responsible. But at this point, It became unbearable. I was spending almost all my life’s earnings on my family palaver. Now I’ve drawn out a plan. 15% budget towards my family’s upkeep. Nothing more, nothing less. Funny enough, no one has died since I became firm with my stance. All the emergency just seemed to disappear.
Ogo(26)
I landed a fantastic job in 2018 at a tech start up and my pay was the largest income anyone in my family had ever received. I was not only responsible for my mother’s upkeep, but my little brother in University, my cousins in secondary school and my overly expensive rent. It wasn’t easy, but I met the brunt with an increased rise in my salary. Unfortunately the worst happened, I lost my job two months ago. I’m able to live off now from the liquidated stock I had bought years ago at my previous company. I still give my family the same amount for their upkeep. If I don’t get a job soon, I might have to cut them off. I would need to survive till I get a new job. I just do what I have to do when I can. Do I have a choice?
Uche (27)
I know that there is so much I can do with the money I give my parents and siblings for their monthly upkeep. I can save more. I can try a variety of investment opportunities. But I understand that this is my responsibility and no one will fill it. My family members have sacrificed so much for many years to see that I was comfortable in Uni. It will be a disservice to turn my back on them now that I have a job. Rather than seeing the Black Tax as a burden, I see it as a motivator that pushes me to explore other sources of income to help cushion the effect I get from just taking from a salary. I also think families should be considerate in giving young people time to get their acts together before fleecing them. Always do what works for you.
Ope (24)
Since NYSC, I have been responsible towards my parent’s upkeep. I’m the last child of my parents, so I’ve no one looking up to me. My elder siblings do so much for my parents too. But you know it can never be enough especially when you’ve aged parents. There’s absolutely so much I can do with my money in terms of saving more. I try to save what I can and live life the best way as well. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Whatever happens, I know the future will work out something.
