Kumasi businessman fires back at GRA over tax evasion claims

A Kumasi-based businessman is fighting back accusations he owes Ghana Revenue Authority over 7 million Ghana cedis in outstanding taxes.

Rice importer, Rockson Kofi Nsiah, is one of eight persons who are said to have defaulted payment of taxes to a tune of over 11 million Ghana cedis.

The Ghana Revenue Authority embarked on an operation in Kumasi on Thursday to compel the indebted companies to pay up.

It comes eight months after GRA officials say the companies had failed to respond to demand notices.

However, Mr. Nsiah’s supervisor, Michael Nartey, who was present at the time the Special Task Force visited the company premises disagrees.

He tells journalists the company will contest the Ghana Revenue Authority in court because the company does not owe the amount quoted by the revenue agency.

Meanwhile, the task force locked up defaulting businesses who have 14 days grace period to redeem their tax obligations or face sanctions.

Coordinator of a Special Task Force, Henry Sam, says defaulters will have their property sold to defray their debt or be dragged to court.

The special revenue mobilization task force in collaboration with the tax offices, recovered tax revenue amounting 66, 337, 842.20 spanning the period January 1, to June 16, 2017.

The collection performance mainly arose from Tax compliance checks conducted by the Task Force including suppliers and service providers to the MDAs, MMDAs and Mining companies.

Pursuant to Section 53 of the Revenue Administration Act 2015, Act 915, the Commissioner General of Ghana Revenue Authority is empowered to take possession of charged assets by serving the defaulting taxpayers with a notice.

The affected tax defaulters are mainly located in Accra and Kumasi.

The distress action, which would be sustained throughout the year, would help rake in tax revenue to meet the 2017 target.

The tax agency is therefore advising all taxpayers to voluntarily comply with the tax laws by filling all the tax returns , issue VAT invoices for taxable supplies and effect payment of all relevant taxes on or before the due date to avoid any embarrassment.