The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has begun the processing if tax reliefs as part of a concerted strategy to enhance voluntary tax compliance.
This according to the Revenue generating body is also to motivate and incentivize individuals and institutions to file their tax returns without hesitation.
The Assistant Commissioner of GRA, P&P, Mr. Dominic Naab disclosed this at a Engagement with Selected Editors and Senior Reporters in Accra last Thursday.
He explained that a tax relief is an allowance given to a resident individual to reduce his/her tax burden.
He also revealed that the tax reliefs include Marriage / Responsibility Relief, Child Education Relief, Disability Relief and Old age Relief.
Touching on the reliefs and their specific benefits, Mr. Naab revealed that the Marriage / Responsibility Relief is granted to a resident individual who takes care of his wife or her husband or takes care of at least two children adding that the relief is gh1,200.00.
“ The Child Education relief is granted to a resident individual who pays his or her child’s school fees. The relief is granted to a maximum of three children attending any recognized registered educational institution in Ghana. The relief is GH¢600 per Child per Year” the Assistant Commissioner emphasized.
On the Disability and old age Reliefs, he asserted that whilst persons with old age of about 60 years and above, benefit gh1,500.00, that of the disability entails 25% of the persons income from a business or employment.
“To enjoy these reliefs, one needs to apply to the Commissioner – General’s office. you need to fill a Tax Relief Application form and submit at any of GRA’s Domestic Tax Revenue Division offices across the country”, the GRA Assistant Commissioner stressed.
He therefore appealed to all and sundry to pay their taxes maintaining that aside the benefits for tax payment as captured above, the taxes are used for infrastructural projects such as schools, roads, hospitals among others.
“So pay your tax because we can’t run the country without tax”, he said.
Earlier, the Commissioner SSD of GRA, Dr. Alex Adomako Mensah emphasized the important role of the media in information dissemination, hence the media engagement.
He hinted of a stronger collaboration with the media in order to deepen tax laws education particularly voluntary tax compliance.
“Today, together we can correct certain misconceptions about taxation and public confidence”, Dr. Adomako Mensah clarified.
The former Sekyere Afram Plains Member of Parliament also revealed that the GRA would soon roll out a National Tax Education Campaign to help simplify the complexities of the taxation modules adding that it would also help broaden the tac base whilst leveraging on technologies to simply tax.
He said through this collaboration, the media would be able to set the agenda where the citizenry would appreciate better how taxes are calculated and public funds are utilized.
“When citizens understand taxation, they become tax compliant”, the Commissioner noted.
Source:www.senaradioonline.com/The Exposé
