In a last-ditch effort to meet an ambitious tax revenue target of 80.3 billion Ghana cedis by 2022, as well as a tax-to-GDP ratio of up to 16.5 percent, the government has taken steps to broaden the tax net and tax scope.
Aside from the introduction of an electronic transfers levy, which Parliament has yet to consider, the government has taken steps to collect taxes from internet-based businesses.
The Ghana Revenue Authority has announced that electronic commerce and online businesses will be taxed beginning April 1, 2022.
This means that Netflix, Facebook, and other multinational online businesses with a presence in Ghana will be required to follow Ghana’s e-commerce tax.
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According to the commissioner of GRA, Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, a “special-purpose software has been designed to monitor online businesses and tax them accordingly”.
“Last week, I sat in a presentation of a software, how it works and the demonstration of it and we are confident that by the 1st of April, the taxation of E-commerce will begin” Rev. Owusu Amoah added.
He further noted that the same software shall monitor and tax online gaming and betting activities.
The GRA boss made the announcement at the authority’s 2022 management retreat being held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho.
Rev. Amoah further clarified that the e-commerce tax will be targeted at online service providers, both local and foreign.
He expressed confidence that a collaboration with the National Communications Authority will ensure the successful implementation of the new E-commerce tax.
“You know the NCA needs to allow all these multinationals access to be able to do business in Ghana and accrue revenue from here so when the time comes, we will know how to get the multinationals to also comply with our laws,” the GRA boss indicated.
