GRA Task Force recovered GHS183.5m in 2016

THE Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) mobilised tax revenues amounting to GHS183,559,837.70 between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016, following the introduction of the Special Revenue Mobilisation Task Force in 2015.

Comparatively, this figure is GHS44,732, 633.79 or 32.22% above the 2015 collection of GHS138,827,203.91.

Mr Henry Sam, the National Compliance Coordinator of the GRA, said the improved performance was the result of Tax Compliance Checks undertaken by the eight Task Force Monitoring Teams using third party information obtained from the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (GIFMIS), Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) and Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) among others.

He said poor record keeping, non-submission of tax returns by some registered taxpayers, failure to provide valid invoices or receipts, double and multiple financial statements, according to Mr Sam, are some of the irregularities GRA discovered during their operations in 2016.

Other challenges, he added, included over-reliance on provisional assessment as Final Tax, concealed income and false claim of exemptions without documentary proof, among others.

Mr Sam urged taxpayers, who are in arrears, to voluntarily regularise their tax issues to avoid penalties, cautioning that any company that defaults in payment of tax will have their names published aside from being sanctioned.

He, therefore, reminded all taxpayers, who have failed to file their tax returns to voluntarily approach the tax offices and regularise without any further delay.