With effect from January 1, 2017, taxpayers without new Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) will be denied access to some essential services such as acquisition of driving licence, passports, goods clearance at the ports, among other social services.
The TIN is a unique 11-digit number required under the new Revenue Administration Act, Act 915, which is expected to enable taxpayers to transact business with ease. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) said the TIN would also address issues of tax evasion by individuals and companies and instances of taxpayers owning more than one tax certificate. These were revealed at a tax education seminar organised by the Weija Small Taxpayers Office (STO) in Accra for taxpayers within its jurisdiction yesterday.
Speaking at the seminar, the District Manager of the Weija STO, Mr Benjamin Aquaye-Hutchful, said “no taxpayer can engage in any form of business transaction without a TIN when the new policy commences from the 1st of January, 2017”.“From next year, professionals such as doctors, lawyers and surveyors cannot renew their licences without a TIN. If you do not have a TIN, you will not be able to get a tax clearance certificate to process land title deeds or transact business with any government institution,” he said. Mr Aquaye-Hutchful, therefore, urged all taxpayers, including business owners, employees of state and private institutions, business operators and all persons liable to pay tax or from whom taxes are withheld at sources as employees or agents, to register with the GRA for a TIN and be tax compliant.
He said the registration could be done online on the GRA website or “you can visit any GRA office and you will be registered within a few minutes”.
