Assistant Commissioner of the VAT Administration wing of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Philip Acquah says 16 businesses have been closed for non-compliance with the E-VAT invoicing regime.

The new electronic VAT invoice which is currently being implemented will allow GRA to connect the invoicing system of the Commissioner-General to taxpayers and businesses.

Mr. Acquah made this revelation on Wednesday in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story.

The E-VAT invoicing system enables the GRA monitor invoices issued to taxpayers instantly or near real price so that the Commissioner-General knows every single transaction.

But some traders have resisted the new policy. They argue that the cumulative taxes are crippling their businesses. They have therefore closed their shops in protest of the taxes.

Mr. Acquah said it is not in the interest of GRA to close down shops, however the necessary actions ought to be taken against tax defaulters.

 “We have not targeted any number of shops to close. In fact, it is not in GRA's interest to close shops. We are working with a number of taxpayers and those taxpayers have been earmarked for the first phase of the invoicing implementation. Now those taxpayers that refuse to be on board the system are the taxpayers that we have taken the necessary sanction against,” he explained.

According to him, the businesses will be allowed to operate once they agree to get on board the VAT system.

He added that a number of businesses “have started engaging us and we have started the process of opening some of the shops.”

Mr. Acquah said the implementation of the VAT invoice system is expected to be completed by April 2024.