Authorities at the Ghana Revenue Authority in the Western region have urged all persons earning income from employment, business and investment in the region to be truthful to them, and visit any of their offices in the region and file their returns for 2018 before the end of April 2019 to avoid the payment of interest and penalties.

The caution was given during the launch of the 2019 Tax and Good Governance Week Programme in Takoradi on the theme “File your tax return, pay your taxes, move Ghana beyond aid”. 

Section 124 (1) of the Income Tax Act, 2015, (Act 896) mandates all income-earning persons to file their returns for the previous year by April 30 in the current year.

Sector Commander for Takoradi Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Francis Talongo, explained that a person shall file with the Commissioner General not later than four months after the end of each year of assessment a return of income for the year.

“I wish the public to know that filling of annual tax returns and payment of taxes are not a matter of choice but are both statutory and constitutional requirement.”

He added that persons who file their tax returns stand to gain benefit such as; “claim a tax refund for overpaid taxes, claim the capital allowance on business assets among others.”

He mentioned that GRA has developed an electronic payment platform through which operators in the informal sector particularly commercial transport in the informal sector and small scale self-employed persons on the tax stamp will pay their quarterly taxes through mobile money in collaboration with the banks.

This initiative, he added is part of the digitization process of GRA to leverage technology to improve tax administration.

“The Legal Department has been directed to prosecute all tax offenders in accordance with our determination to let the public know that it is not business as usual at GRA” he added

Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has advice individuals and institutions to file their tax returns on time to attract the needed development in the country.

He noted that revenue mobilization in the country has not kept pace with the ever-growing demands of citizens for developmental projects and better services