U/E/R: Tax defaulters should apply for waivers — GRA

The Manager of the Bolgatanga Taxpayer Service Centre (TSC) of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Bismark Shaibu Mahama, has urged tax defaulters to apply for waivers.

He said the 2022 budget has offered a window of opportunity for taxpayers to redeem their indebtedness.

This came to light in an exclusive interview with ModernGhana News in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.

Mr. Mahama disclosed that the Penalty and Interest Wavier Act, 2021 (Act 1065) which he referred to as the “Principal enchantment”, is amended in section one by the substitution for subsection 1 of 1 where a person on or before 30th June 2022, pays tax arrears to the Ghana Revenue Authority, or files outstanding returns in respect of the previous year(s) up to December 2020, the Commissioner-General shall not recover assessed penalty and interest on the tax arrears paid or returns filed in respect of the relevant period.

He added that the marginal relief threshold for all individuals, including employees has been increased from GHC 319 a month to GHC 365.

Mr. Mahama explained further that as an individual, whatever income you earn either from employment or from business, after SSNIT deduction of 5.5 percent, there is a relief of up to GHC 365 that will not be taxed on the remaining amount.

He added that this element of the relief used to be GHC 319 but has now been raised to GHC 365 a difference of about GHC 46 disposable income made available to the individual.

He admonished tax defaulters especially in the Upper East Region to take advantage of the window of opportunity in the budget and redeem themselves by filing their returns within the stated period, and pay the tax or make arrangements to pay the tax for GRA to waive the penalties and interest.