CEPS grants amnesty for tax disclosures

Accra, March 8, GNA - The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) will grant amnesty to all persons who voluntarily disclose the non-payment of duties and or taxes arising out of tax evasion from January to June 2006.

The amnesty also covers disclosures of duties and taxes for incorrect declarations of customs transaction for which persons involved would not be penalised or sanctioned.

A statement from the CEPS and signed by Ms Anniie Anipa, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Public Relations, said the amnesty fell in line with the provisions of the 2006 Budget Statement which related to the granting of Government tax amnesty to persons, who made voluntary disclosures to the tax authorities regarding their tax liabilities. The statement therefore said: "Upon such voluntary disclosure to CEPS, only the tax liability on the goods or article in question will be assessed for payment such that the assessment shall not include the imposition of pecuniary penalty, prosecutions or other sanctions for the evasion or non-compliance or non-payment of tax."

Thereafter, it said, the imposition of pecuniary penalties; prosecution or other sanctions prescribed in the CEPS Management Law shall be applied on persons who failed to avail themselves of the terms of the tax amnesty, within the stipulated period.