The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will replace Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) with Ghana Card numbers starting next year.
This will allow the authority to improve its operations by gaining access to data from other government agencies such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Driver and Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the Lands Commission.
Clement Amankwah-Bonsu, the GRA's Chief Revenue Officer, stated this at a taxation conversation in Accra yesterday.
"You will see that each person's Ghana Card number is unique. In their attempt to cheat the system using the TIN, some persons were able to get numerous TINs, allowing them to choose which number to use at any given moment. However, I believe that with the introduction of the Ghana Card, some of these issues would be addressed "He went on to clarify.
Project
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition organized the National Multi-Stakeholder Tax Dialogue-Agenda as part of the country's Promoting Progressive Property Taxation and Tax Compliance programme.
The restructure of the GRA's Domestic Tax Revenue Division, according to Mr Amankwah-Bonsu, has increased tax compliance in the country.
Furthermore, he stated that it has resulted in quick taxpayer services and ease for taxpayers.
He noted that as a result of the restructure, which saw the country divided into ten zones, designated region offices with taxpayer centers were established.
Returns
Mr Amankwah-Bonsu noted that one of the innovations being employed to raise domestic income and assure tax compliance is online submission of tax returns, as opposed to the prior scenario when it was done manually.
He said that this was aiding individuals in paying their taxes without trouble, and that GRA personnel had been trained to assist taxpayers with any issues or stress.
Another intervention, he added, was the ability to pay taxes online without having to go from one office to another.
People may now pay their taxes to the different GRA offices using mobile money, credit and visa cards, rather than cash and cheques, thanks to the Ghana.Gov platform, he added.
Cashless
"Because we used to have a lot of dishonoured cheques, this cashless approach has benefited the GRA a lot." People arrived with checks, knowing full well that the checks would bounce, yet they deposited them at the GRA offices and left," he explained.
The GRA now has a fiat from the Attorney-Department, General's among other things, to begin its own prosecution of tax defaulters, according to the Chief Revenue Officer, adding that the goal was not to send people to jail but to ensure that they understood it was their civic duty to pay their taxes.
Another item that will help with tax compliance, according to Mr Amankwah-Bonsu, is the creation of an independent tax appeals board to deal with taxpayer concerns and petitions.
High rates are discouraging.
Mark Badu-Aboagye, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, claimed that higher tax rates will discourage people from evading taxes.
He stated that the chamber expects the GRA to bring non-paying taxpayers on board in order to increase income collection for development.
Geoffrey Ocansey, the Executive Director of Money Mobilisation for Africa, urged for the tax base to be expanded in order to generate more revenue, particularly from individuals who were not paying taxes.
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