GRA vows to sanction expatriates who flout tax laws

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has vowed to take action against expatriates in the country who default on their tax returns or flout tax laws.

The tax authority gave the warning following claims that most expatriates in Ghana are flouting the tax returns rules - resulting in huge loss in government revenue.

Speaking to the media at the sidelines of a breakfast meeting organized by Ernst and Young in Accra- Chief Revenue Officer at the Large Tax Payer Office of the GRA, Dominic Naab said the tax authority will deal ruthlessly with expatriates who default on filing their tax returns.

He noted that, “taxation is governed by law and whatever income that is accrued from Ghana will have to be subject to tax in Ghana. In the past, we entered into some agreements that actually exempted them from tax”.

Mr. Naab explained that the tax exemption was in operation up till September 2015 for contractors and sub-contractors in the country’s oil & gas industry.

He added the provisions “has been reversed so as we speak now the position of the law has changed. Now we are saying that unless or until it is stated clearly that you are exempted from tax, you will surely have to pay your taxes in Ghana.”

The move on expatriates forms part of an on-going effort by the GRA to clamp down on private sector players in the Ghanaian economy who have consistently failed to file their tax returns.