Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has unveiled an online platform known as the “Integrated Tax Application Preparation System (iTaPS), to enable taxpayers pay their taxes and file annual tax returns electronically.
The software application was developed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to leverage on technology to facilitate tax payment with convenience intended to increase revenue mobilisation.
It is expected to enhance tax payment compliance, improve the quality of tax returns, provide revenue assurance, keep records electronically, minimise human contact and mistakes as well as improve the country’s ranking on the Ease of Doing Business Index.
The designing of the electronic platform was in response to Vice President Bawumia’s directive to the Management of the GRA in April, last year, to develop a simplified electronic system that would enable taxpayers to file their tax returns using phones or computers at their convenience.
Speaking at the launch of the 2019 Tax and Good Governance Week in Accra, Vice President Bawumia commended the leadership of GRA for their swift response and initiative and encouraged them to come up with more of such ideas to improve the automation processes.
The event, organised by the GRA in collaboration with the Finance Ministry, attracted staff of the GRA, heads of agencies, donor partners and members of the public, which was held on the theme: “File Your Tax Returns, Pay Your Taxes, Move Ghana Beyond Aid” to raise awareness on the need to file tax returns and pay the appropriate taxes.
The Vice President said government was fully committed to its goal of moving the economy from one of taxation towards production, saying “This means allowing production and profits first before taxation, but not a complete turn away from taxation”.
He urged all income earning persons to comply with the tax law by filing their tax returns and paying the appropriate taxes on the due dates.
Currently, only 1.2 million people pay taxes out of the six million economically active populations, with one million being in the formal sector, leaving only 200,000 coming from the informal sector.
