In a frantic effort to achieve an ambitious 80.3 billion Ghana cedis tax revenue target for the year 2022 and also attain a tax to Gross Domestic Product, GDP ratio of up to 16.5%, the government has initiated moves to widen the tax net and broaden the tax scope.
Apart from the introduction of an electronic transfer levy which is yet to be considered by Parliament, the government has also initiated moves to collect taxes from businesses operating via the internet.
The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA has revealed plans to begin taxing electronic commerce and online businesses beginning from April 1, 2022.
According to the commissioner of GRA, Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, a “special – purpose software has been designed to monitor online businesses and tax them accordingly”.
“Last week, I sat in a presentation of a software, how it works and the demonstration of it, and we are confident that by April 1, the taxation of E-commerce will begin, he added.
He further noted that the same software shall monitor and tax online gaming and betting activities.
The GRA boss made the announcement on the authority’s 2022 management retreat held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho.
Rev Amoah further clarified that the e- ecommerce tax will be targeted at online service providers, both local and foreign.
He expressed confidence that a collaboration with the National Communications Authority, NCA will ensure the successful implementation of the new E-commerce tax.
“You know the NCA needs to allow all these multinationals access to be able to do business in Ghana and accrue revenue from here so when the time comes, we will know how to get the multinationals to also comply with our laws,” he indicated.
