Tax collections by statutory body, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be fully automated starting May 1, 2021.
This is according to the Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Reverend Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah.
Speaking on the automation of tax collections in the country in an interview, the Commissioner-General averred the move aside enforcing tax compliance will enhance revenue mobilisation efforts of the GRA.
According to him, filing of all tax forms as well as payment of all types of taxes can be made on the Authority’s automated platforms.
“Taxpayers starting next month can now file all tax forms and pay all types of taxes to the Authority on the Ghana.gov platform. So for the first time starting next month, all tax payments will be done online, so taxpayers no longer need to come to our offices or go to banks to pay their taxes,” he said.
Executive Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Peter Quartey, along with several tax experts in the country have continuously called for the automation of tax collections to significantly reduce human interference in tax collections.
With a current taxpayer base of 5.9 million and an anticipated taxpayer base of 12 million due to the advent of the Ghana Card, the Commissioner noted the move will boost the Authority’s ability to achieve the 16.7 percent tax revenue to GDP target set for it this year by the Finance Ministry.
Government in the 2021 Budget Statement, set for the GRA, a tax revenue mobilsation target of Ghs 74.2 billion (16.7 percent of GDP) for 2021.
However, the GRA’s ability to achieve the set target has been met with some doubts given the authority’s inability to achieve much lesser revenue targets in recent years.
Point in case is the doubt expressed by former Minister for Finance, Seth Terkper.
According to him, it is nearly impossible for the GRA to achieve the set target, given government’s poor track record in tax revenue mobilsation coupled with the current economic downturn caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
