Drivers welcome registration for TIN but call for more education

Some drivers at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in Accra have welcomed the initiative by the Ghana Revenue Authority to ensure that all drivers register for the Tax Identification Number (TIN) before obtaining a licence.

Some of the drivers, who spoke with the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday about the initiative, urged the GRA to intensify education on the policy to ensure strict adherence.

The GRA on Tuesday urged persons who are yet to register for the TIN to take steps to do so as it begins the enforcement of the law with effect from April 1, 2018.

According to GRA, a person without the TIN, an 11-digit unique number given to identify Taxpayers and enable GRA to credit them whenever they pay their taxes, cannot open a bank account, file a case in court, acquire a passport or obtain a driver’s licence.

Mr Samuel Bonso, a driver, said he heard about the TIN in the news a year ago and that it was a laudable move by GRA to get a data on the informal sector since most of the sectors were excluded in paying tax.

He said the implementation of the TIN policy would enable taxpayers to ensure tax compliance and as well help to properly monitor and broaden the tax net.

Mr Bonso appealed to GRA to have a GRA office at the DVLA like the Registrar General Department for easy access to the TIN forms.

Ms Constance Adomaa, the Public Relations Officer, Registrar General’s Department (RGD) said their outfit had no issue with the implementation of the TIN policy because they started implementation since 2011.

Ms Adomaa said the RGD had a designated a stand for GRA TIN registration for persons ready to register their businesses.

So far, the GRA had issued One million and Ninety Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight TIN (1,090,338).