Bishop David Oyedepo Says He will NOT Pay Tax Because His $150 million Fortune Has No Single Government Input

Bishop David Oyedepo who is the richest pastor in Nigeria and the world, with an estimated net worth of over $150 million, has argued that pastors and their charity work should exempt from tax.

Oyedepo told Reuters in a recent interview.




"We use the income of the church to build schools, and to serve the needs of the poor. These are non-profit organisations. There is no single government input on this premises, we supply our water, we make our roads, then you ... say: 'Let's tax them'. For what?"

His argument is based on the fact that Britain's Charity Commission says it is reviewing potential conflicts of interest in his finances, and last month the Home Office (interior ministry) barred him from Britain, though it declined to say why.
Oyedepo who said he knew nothing of the commission's review, nor had the Home Office explained to him why he was barred, claimed that Winners Chapel's employed more than 18,000 people in Nigeria alone and the fact that he is blessed with a Gulfstream V jet and several BMWs is just God's doing.

He said the wealth the church gathers is invested in expanding it, and that if he did not use a private jet, he would be unable to oversee its many foreign operations and still return to Ota every week in time for Sunday's worship. So he doesn't understand why all eyes are on him.