GRA inaugurates task force on tax payment
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has inaugurated a 40-member task force to go after recalcitrant taxpayers across the country.
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The task force would ensure that individuals and businesses adhere to the law governing payment of tax.
Drawn from various units of the GRA, the task force would uncover defaulting taxpayers, businesses that do not file their tax returns, underpay taxes as well as those that fail to issue tax invoices.
They have until the end of December 2015, to recover all outstanding tax debts due the state.
Tax compliance
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony yesterday, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr George Blankson, said although the bulk of revenue collected by the GRA was from voluntary compliance, “there are a few more people who do not pay taxes, and some who declare their taxes but do not declare the right amount”.
He stated that in tax payment, timeliness was an important ingredient and, therefore, urged taxpayers to pay on time.
He said the authority exceeded its revenue target for the first half of the year.
“But exceeding revenue target by one per cent or two per cent does not mean we must rest on our oars. We need to collect more revenue to enable the government to meet the needs of the public,” he added.
Mr Blankson explained that taking distress actions such as sealing off the premises of business or seizure of assets constituted the last resort employed in extreme cases to compel recalcitrant businesses to honour their tax obligation.
“We do not want to get to that state that is why we embark on tax education and deploy all forms of strategies to get taxpayers to be compliant because we want taxpayers to continue to be in business,” he said.
He charged members of the task force to genuinely collect the tax, saying that “you have been carefully selected based on your record of integrity and experience so acquit yourself creditably to give credence to the confidence reposed in you.”
Avoid sanctions
The Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Medium Tax Office (MTO), Mr Alex Asamoah-Bonti, speaking on behalf of the Acting Commissioner of the Domestic Tax and Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA, advised taxpayers to honour their tax obligations to avoid sanctions.
He explained that the intention of the exercise was to improve upon the revenue base of the country and generate more revenue for government expenditure and other recurrent costs.
“For optimal revenue mobilisation, all taxpayers must contribute their quota that is why the task force has been set up to mobilise revenue from defaulting taxpayers and taxpayers outside the tax net,” he said
He said the exercise was also to let people understand the options applicable to tax defaulters.
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