Tax administrations around the world are engaged in building innovative digital solutions to meet 21st century challenges, and Ghana is no exception. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is making strides in technological infrastructure innovation with its gradual introduction of digital services. Accordingly, the GRA has deployed three new systems: a taxpayer portal, a portal for electronic invoicing…
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the agency mandated to assess and collect taxes in the country. The administration falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Finance. Tax Residency An individual is tax resident in Ghana if that individual is: • Present in Ghana for an aggregate period of 183 days or more in any 12-month period that commences or ends during the year; • A citizen who is…
Viewpoint:Ayesha Bedwei Ibe In 2022 Ghana’s government sought financial and technical assistance from the IMF to strengthen the economy. This decision was taken after several debates about whether the country needed support from the international organisation to improve its economic situation or if the country could resolve the issues by itself. External factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic…
Ghana has a number of mechanisms in place to levy taxes on both individuals and business entities. These include a graduated scale for residents, with the maximum rate for residents reaching 35% and a flat rate of 25% for non-resident individuals; the Financial Sector Recovery Levy, a 5% tax aimed at the accounting profit of banks, with an exception for rural and community banks; and the Growth and…
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other external shocks, Ghana’s GDP growth is expected to moderate in 2024 and 2025 thanks to the proactive measures undertaken by the government. One example of such initiatives is the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, which has helped stabilise the local economy and provide greater fiscal stability. In 2023 the country was the continent’s leadin
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the agency mandated to assess and collect taxes in the country. It enforces tax-related legislation, and acts as an arbitrator in the event of a dispute. It falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. Taxes in Ghana are divided into two main categories: direct taxes which are levied on income or profit, and indirect taxes which are…
Viewpoint:Vish Ashiagbor The National Identity Card has been a positive development for the country. It started in 2017, and we have seen significant progress in card registration in recent years. It is becoming an important identification card both for Ghana and the ECOWAS subregion. The card, which is issued by the National Identification Authority, is generally referred to as the Ghana Card;…
The value-added tax (VAT) regime in Ghana can be complicated, as it blends both the features of a traditional sales tax, which lacks the ability to claim credit for some aspects of the tax incurred by a business – and a pure VAT, where claims are permitted for input taxes incurred. The tax was first introduced in 1995, and meant to replace both sales and services taxes – which policy analysts said…
Ghana is the first African country to achieve independence from British colonial rule, and is widely known for its natural resources such as cocoa, as well as its inland water sources. Several measures have been taken to balance government revenue and spending, and the country remains a safe haven for foreign direct investment, which stood at $830m in the first half of 2021. The most recent genera
In conjunction with PwC, this chapter explores the taxation system and Ghana’s efforts to build an investor-friendly environment. It also contains an interview with Vish Ashiagbor, Country Senior Partner, PwC Ghana.…
