The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says that no one is beyond the reach of its tax surveillance systems, whether they operate through formal banking channels or not.
Speaking on JoyPrime’s 7th Edition of Showbiz Roundtable on Saturday, September 6, the Chief Revenue Officer and Head of the GRA IT Training Centre, Isaac Kobina Amoako, outlined the methods used by the Authority to identify income earners and track untaxed earnings.
“The same way we track all income earners is what we use. It may be through an informant who alerts us, or via a third party,” he explained.
“If we receive information that you are earning income, we may go straight to your bank account and monitor how money is flowing in.”
The official made it clear that bank account activity is a primary tool for uncovering hidden income, particularly for individuals who attempt to bypass the formal tax system. However, he noted that even those who do not operate bank accounts are not exempt from scrutiny.
“If you don’t have a bank account, there could still be something else. You might have a friend holding your money,” he said.
He explained that individuals who earn income but choose not to keep it in a formal bank account are not beyond the reach of the Authority.
“If the information indicates that you earn income but don’t keep it in a bank, and it’s with somebody else, the GRA can go to that person and collect.”