Substituting TIN with Ghana Card will help banks sync data – GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said the replacement of TIN with Ghana Card will help commercial banks synchronize details of customers.

The GRA boss Reverend Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah believes the replacement initiative is a step in the right direction.

According to him, banks have over the years faced challenges when it comes to syncing details of Ghanaian taxpayers into a database.

The problem, he says, stems from doubts and uncertainty on the type of Identification Card that should be widely used and accepted as the standard.

“The approach is to ensure that this data is being matched …And since this is where we are going, it is in the interest of every stakeholder to aggressively participate and make sure that they are online, otherwise, you will be left out,” he stressed on Joy News.

This development comes on the back of inconsistencies within the banking sector and GRA’s tax collection procedure where taxpayers could not file tax returns because banks were reluctant to accept some types of Identification Cards.

“Anytime you have a card that a bank has a reluctance to accept, it’s more because the bank hasn’t linked its system to your system to ensure the ability to verify or validate the card,” he said.

Effective April 1, 2021, the Ghana Card replaces the Taxpayer Identification Number of individuals issued by the Ghana Revenue Authority for tax identification purposes.

This change is in line with government’s policy on the use of a unique identifier for all transactions where the identification of an individual is required.

To ensure a seamless roll-out of this initiative, the GRA in a statement said registration officials of the National Identification Authority are currently stationed at 14 GRA offices across the country to register individuals who do not possess a Ghana card.