By Adnan Adams Mohammed
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has officially launched a major media engagement drive to introduce its new Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS), marking a decisive shift toward a data-driven, fully digital tax environment.
The reform, which covers all major tax regimes, including Income Tax, VAT, Excise Duty, and the Growth and Sustainability Levy, seeks to slash compliance costs for citizens while aggressively closing loopholes that allow tax evaders to operate outside the state’s reach.
Speaking at the launch event, the Commissioner-General (CG) of the GRA, Anthony Sarpong, emphasized that the primary objective of ITAS is transformation through operational efficiency and robust data integration, rather than the introduction of new financial burdens.
“ITAS will not bring in any new taxes,” the Commissioner-General stated. “It is an efficient and effective point of view for our interaction with taxpayers… It is going to save taxpayers’ time.”
Key features of the automated system
The newly introduced platform represents a complete overhaul of traditional tax administration in Ghana, shifting workflows from manual interventions to digital, event-driven processes.
[Taxpayer Initiates Process Online]
│
▼
[Automated, Event-Driven Workflow] ──► [System Flags Errors Instantly]
│
▼
[GRA Analytics / Risk-Based Audit Selection]
According to the GRA leadership, the platform introduces several critical modules designed to simplify compliance and boost accountability:
● Automated Workflow & Verification: Under the new structure, taxpayers initiate processes directly within an electronic environment. The system features automated backend calculations, allowing users to identify and correct filing errors before submission.
● Risk-Based Audits: The authority is shifting away from arbitrary, manual audit selections. “There will be an effective risk-based audit selection process,” the CG explained. “There will be a risk management module so that we can select taxpayers based on risk rather than the manual process we do right now.”
● Offline Utilities: Recognizing connectivity realities, the platform offers an offline utility tool. Taxpayers can log transactions offline and seamlessly upload the compiled data into the main ITAS database once connected.
● Consultant Delegation: A dedicated module allows taxpayers to securely manage, register, and delegate specific tasks or financial profiles to verified tax consultants.
The system deployment is structured in phases. The initial phase handles core functions like registration, filing, payment processing, and accounting. Subsequent rollouts will introduce e-invoicing, audit management, investigations, and refund processing.
Tracking assets abroad and clamping down on leakages
A significant portion of the engagement focused on the GRA’s enforcement capabilities, particularly regarding offshore assets held by Ghanaians and local retail non-compliance. Through the global “Exchange of Information” framework, the GRA is actively receiving annual data from international jurisdictions regarding assets and income earned abroad by Ghanaian citizens.
The system computes the tax differential between what was paid abroad and Ghana’s higher domestic rates to ensure structural equity.
Mr Sarpong revealed that during the previous year, the authority targeted the top 1,000 citizens flagged in these cross-border data matches.
Closer to home, the authority highlighted massive revenue leakages within the Value Added Tax (VAT) space, estimating that out of every ten local companies, only four are fully compliant in collecting and remitting VAT.
To combat this, the GRA will mandate hardware integration starting in the third quarter of this year. Retail shops and service providers will be required to utilize government-approved devices linked directly to the GRA network.
“When you buy, the business owner sees their transaction. The GRA government also sees their transaction immediately,” the Commissioner-General warned. “We can now track how much you sold. And therefore, when it comes to reporting to GRA, the taxes you’ve collected, we will be able to know.”
The authority also noted it has successfully mapped domestic properties geographically, deploying field officers house-by-house to uncover unremitted rent taxes, with initial tracking campaigns already underway in areas like East Legon and the Spintex Road.
Data privacy and system security
Amid questions regarding data centralized from other state agencies, such as the Passport Office and the Registrar General’s Department (ORC), the GRA gave strong assurances regarding data protection.
“The GRA is a signatory to the data protection requirements,” the leadership stated during the Q&A session. “We identify who you are, but the data we are able to get from other sources is protected. If it is breached, GRA will be responsible.”
The authority confirmed that its core technological infrastructure has been precisely scaled to handle high transaction volumes during this initial piloting phase, with committed plans for ongoing technical reviews as more taxpayers register. A dedicated user help desk is actively running, with the ultimate operational goal of transitioning into a round-the-clock, 24/7 support framework.
Media as partners in building compliance
In his closing remarks, Dr. Martin, the GRA Deputy Commissioner for Domestic Tax Revenue Division, thanked the press and underscored the vital role journalists hold as the fourth estate in educating the public on tax developments and tracking state expenditures.
“Tax revenue remains the only and most reliable source of income for any state to develop,” Dr. Martin concluded. “Loans cannot develop our country. Grants cannot develop our country. The only thing that can develop our country is tax revenue. And we believe that the nation has enough revenue to be able to develop if we are all compliant.”
The GRA urged all domestic taxpayers to visit its official website portal, where complete ITAS user manuals have been published to guide the public through the system profile updates and self-service options.
