Two Directors arrested for falsifying tax certificates

The Ghana Revenue Authority Special Revenue Mobilisation Taskforce has arrested Managing Directors of two printing companies in Accra for tax evasion and falsification of tax certificate clearance.

Mr Eric Yeboah, Deputy Managing Director of Skyco Printing Press Limited and Mr. Eugene Nyabi, Managing Director of Yamens Printing Limited, were arrested by the task force at their offices for falsely making or altering the serial numbers of the tax clearance document.

The task force has closed down Mork Impression Limited, a printing company for refusing to honor their tax obligation of GH? 441,101.80 to GRA and 44 mobile phone shops located at Tip-Toe at circle for non-payment of tax under the Income Tax Act 2015, Act 896.

Mr Theophilus Gaskin, the Director in charge of the Taskforce, said the personnel would be processed for court and would be jailed if found culpable.

Mr Gaskin said his outfit has noticed that mobile phone shops have been evading taxes and the exercise was aimed at compelling businesses to fulfill their revenue obligations.

He said the new Value Added Tax Act of 2013 (Act 870), makes it obligatory for business operators to pay their direct tax and issue VAT invoices to prospective buyers, and thereafter, make statutory payment to the GRA.

‘’There is the need to step up mobilisation efforts to get recalcitrant and taxpayers outside the net to fulfill their tax obligations,’’ he added. Mr. Gaskin indicated that tax defaulters would pay 30 percent penalty on the total direct tax and VAT liabilities and entreated businesses to comply with the law within the stipulated time frame in order to avoid any sanctions.

The task force checked for the issuance of VAT/NHIL invoices by businesses, the filing of VAT/NHIL, Pay as You Earn, returns by the due dates, and the payment of any outstanding tax liabilities (debts) owed the GRA.

Mr. Gaskin said the task force would embark on an exercise to ensure compliance to rent tax income by landlords, urging them to do well to honor their tax obligations.

The Special Mobilisation Task Force has so far retrieved about GH? 92.03 million from 1,627 delinquent taxpayers in four regions for the third quarter of 2015 with GH?4.9 million disclosed to have been collected in the Ashanti Region, from organisations and businesses that have failed to honor their tax obligations over the last 12 months.