Parliament passes four tax bills to strengthen revenue collection and reform tax regime
Parliament has approved four tax bills aimed at strengthening revenue mobilisation, closing tax loopholes and introducing reforms to Ghana's tax administration.
The legislation comprises the Excise Bill, 2026, the Customs Bill, 2026, the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The bills, which were laid before Parliament last Thursday by Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem, were referred to the Finance Committee for scrutiny before being passed by the House.
The Excise Bill, 2026, establishes a new legal framework for the imposition and collection of excise duty on selected imported and locally manufactured excisable goods. It also provides for the introduction and affixing of excise tax stamps on such products.
A key provision of the bill abolishes the 20 per cent excise duty on locally produced fruit juices, a measure intended to ease the tax burden on domestic manufacturers, stimulate growth in the agro-processing sector and improve the competitiveness of locally made products.
In its report, the Finance Committee said the removal of the tax would encourage greater consumption of locally processed fruit juices while supporting value addition in agriculture.
“The committee believes that the measure has the potential to support value addition in agriculture, create employment, and strengthen the domestic fruit processing industry,” the report stated.
The committee also noted that the bill expands the registration requirements under the excise regime by making it mandatory for stockists who purchase imported excisable raw materials for resale to register with the relevant authorities. The requirement has also been extended to manufacturers, importers and stockists before they commence operations.
According to the committee, the expanded registration framework marks a significant departure from the existing law, which primarily covers manufacturers and importers.
“This represents a substantial departure from the existing law, which focuses mainly on manufacturers and importers.
“The measure is expected to improve traceability of excisable goods throughout the supply chain and reduce opportunities for tax evasion,” the report said.
The Excise Bill further introduces stricter compliance measures, including the imposition of excise duty where manufacturers fail to account for excisable goods, requirements for manufacturers to provide bonds or security before goods are cleared for home use, and tighter controls over temporary imports through mandatory bank guarantees.
The Customs Bill, 2026, establishes a comprehensive customs risk management framework comprising a National Single Window System, a National Risk Management Committee, a National Risk Management Team and a Customs Risk Management Unit.
The new institutions are expected to coordinate customs operations using intelligence-based risk assessment instead of relying mainly on physical inspections, with the objective of improving efficiency while facilitating legitimate trade.
Parliament also passed the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) by revising personal income tax rates and the turnover threshold for the presumptive tax regime.
The Finance Committee observed that exempting the national daily minimum wage from income tax would provide significant relief to low-income earners while making Ghana's personal income tax system more progressive.
The committee said the proposal aligns with the government's commitment to protecting vulnerable workers and increasing their disposable income.
“It is also believed that the adjustment would ensure that the personal income tax regime reflects prevailing economic conditions.
“Where tax bands remain unchanged for extended periods despite increases in wages and the general price level, taxpayers may move into higher tax brackets without experiencing a corresponding increase in their real purchasing power,” the report noted.
The House also approved the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which introduces a VAT registration threshold for service providers and zero-rates the local purchase of gold under the Ghana Accelerated National Reserve Accumulation Programme.
The amendment to Act 1151 also empowers the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority to require certain businesses to register for VAT even if they fall below the prescribed threshold.
The government expects the four new laws to strengthen tax administration, improve compliance, reduce revenue leakages and support economic growth while providing targeted tax relief to selected sectors of the economy.