GRA Targets Bloggers, Influencers And MCs For Income Tax: “We Are Expanding The Tax Net”

• The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has clarified that there is no new tax being created for bloggers, brand influencers and MCs
• The authority said it is trying to expand the tax net by ensuring the incomes of bloggers, brand influencers and MCs are taxed
• YEN.com.gh spoke with an MC who felt these segments were being targetted for enforcement unfairly

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) plans to focus on ensuring bloggers, brand influencers, and MCs pay taxes on the money they earn.

While the GRA refuted speculation that it is creating a new tax, it has stressed that all income generation must be taxed.

The GRA Commissioner for domestic tax revenue, Edward Gyambra, told Citi News the attention on bloggers, influencers and MCs is an attempt to expand the tax net.

“If you are generating income from any business, that income is taxable, and so if you sit behind your computer and create content and generate income from that, we will tax that income,” he said.

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An MC who spoke to YEN.com.gh under condition of anonymity felt they were being unfairly targetted.

While he is not opposed to paying tax, he noted that they wanted to see a positve impact on their lives.

"That tax indirectly or directly has to improve my situation so that I can sell myself more, make more, and then it becomes easier for us to pay more.”

At the end of the day, I ask myself: there are far bigger entities that can give them so much more money that are not being taxed.”

He further reminded that many MCs do not work full-time and may not be as well off as people think.

"Some people are just visible. There are some people who are not really making as much as they look.”

John Dumelo speaks against tax on bet winnings

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Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that NDC politician John Dumelo appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to reconsider the move by the government to tax winnings from sports betting.

Dumelo, in a post shared on Twitter, said the new move could lead to an act of resistance from the already suffering youth.

The implementation of a 10% Withholding Tax on the gross winnings from all Betting, Gaming, Lotto and other Games of Chance began on August 15, 2023.

Social media influencer Code Micky rants over controversial tax

YEN.com.gh reported that Code Micky went on a rant because of the tax on all betting, lottery, and gaming wins. In a viral video on TikTok, he said the move was not well thought through.

He also criticised the government for not creating enough jobs to accommodate the teeming unemployed youth.

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Parliament passes New Revenue Bills

In April 2023, YEN.com.gh reported that Parliament passed three major revenue bills to improve Ghana's economy.

The new bills were the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill of 2022, the Excise Duty Amendment Bill of 2022 and the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill of 2022.

Parliament, however, did not pass these bills unanimously because of stiff opposition from the Minority.

Source: YEN.com.gh