The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has launched a nationwide Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance campaign to promote voluntary compliance and accountability.
The campaign was aimed at ensuring that businesses and consumers understood their shared responsibility in accounting for taxes legally due to the State.
Dr Martin Kolbil Yamborigya, Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of GRA said VAT remained an important source of domestic revenue used to finance schools, hospitals, roads, security, and other essential public services.
The launch was on the theme: “Request your VAT Invoice, Help Build Our Nation.”
He said despite reforms to the VAT regime, compliance remained a major challenge, noting that GRA records showed about 60,000 active VAT taxpayers and a significant gap between potential and actual VAT collections.
The Commissioner said the VAT gap meant that the country was collecting only about 40 per cent of potentially recoverable VAT, describing the situation as a national challenge that required collective action.
Dr Yamborigya explained that the objective was not to drive businesses out of existence but to create a fair tax system where compliant businesses were not disadvantaged by competitors who failed to meet their obligations.
He urged businesses required by law to register for VAT to do so, issue approved VAT invoices, accurately file their returns, and account for VAT collected from customers.
The Commissioner appealed to consumers to demand VAT invoices whenever they purchased goods or services.
He noted the simple action would promote transparency, protect compliant businesses, and help GRA monitor economic activity.
He said the Campaign would be supported by compliance visits, risk-based audits, data-driven assessments, and intensified taxpayer education, adding that GRA would educate and engage businesses while taking appropriate action against deliberate and persistent non-compliance.
Dr Yamborigya said GRA would also strengthen the use of technology, data analytics and digital services to identify businesses outside the VAT system, improve monitoring, and make registration, filing and payment easier.
He called on businesses, professional bodies, associations, the media, consumers, and GRA staff to support the campaign, saying a stronger culture of voluntary compliance would help close the VAT gap and strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation.
Mr Clement Boateng, President of GUTA urged the enforcement Unit to attach human face to the tax compliance exercises
He expressed commitment from members of GUTA to the implementation of the Tax Compliance Campaign.