Black tax in Nigeria: how to support family without going broke
Black tax is the money working people regularly send to support parents, siblings and extended family. It's common in Nigeria: 56% of earners in PiggyVest's 2023 survey said they pay it every month. This guide shows a calmer way to handle it.
Updated 3 October 2026
What black tax means
It's often a source of pride, and also of strain when it's unplanned. In PiggyVest's 2023 survey, 56% of earners said they pay black tax every month (PiggyVest 2023 Savings Report, via TechCabal).
Black tax calculator
Enter your monthly take-home pay and what you send to family each month.
The calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
1. Decide the number, not the moment
The hardest part of black tax is the unplanned request. Decide a monthly amount you can sustain, after rent, food and your own savings, and treat it as fixed. Many people split it per person: a set amount for parents, a set amount for a sibling's school, and a small pot for emergencies.
2. Automate it
When the money goes out by itself on a set date, family can plan around it and you stop being asked. In SpenDrip that's one plan per person:
Send ₦50,000 for 💛 Mum & Dad every month on the 27th.
They can also get a WhatsApp message when it lands, so "have you sent it?" becomes rare.
3. Protect it from everything else
Make your most important support a priority. If money gets tight, priorities are paid first, and lower plans wait instead of eating into them.
4. Have a plan for extra requests
Extra requests will still come. Having a fixed, visible amount makes it easier to say "this month's support has gone out; let's plan the extra for next month" without feeling like you're refusing outright.
Questions people ask
What is black tax in Nigeria?
Black tax is the regular money working people send to support family members, such as parents' upkeep, siblings' school fees and medical bills.
How much should I send to my parents?
There's no single right amount. Work out what's left after essentials and your own savings, decide a fixed monthly figure you can sustain, and automate it.
How can I automate family support?
Set up a monthly scheduled transfer for each person you support. In SpenDrip you choose the date and time, and make the most important ones priorities.