New Trotro And Taxi Income Tax

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched a new trotro and taxi income tax receipt book in Accra yesterday. This replaces the 'Standard Assessment' levy commercial transport owners were charged.

The Commissioner of IRS, Mrs. Janet Opoku-Acheampong at the launch said between 1981 and 1986, vehicle owners paid taxes based on 'Provisional Assessments' and in January 1987, the IRS entered into an agency agreement with the transport owners. "I am most happy to state on record that the agency agreement resulted in the expansion of the tax base in the transport sector as taxable persons increased," she said.

Mrs. Opoku-Acheampong said it is incumbent on all income earners especially those in the informal sector to prepare and submit accounts on their business activities. The IRS on its part has tightened its monitoring with the setting up of a monitoring task force, to operate round-the-clock on selected highways.

She said if people pay their taxes, it will enable the government to improve on the social and economic needs of all citizens. "If we as people cherish the provision of a safe, secure environment in which to move freely to pursue individual goals in peace and freed; if we believe in the provision of social amenities for our individual benefits, and if we believe in the provision of infrastructure for national development, then we owe it to ourselves to discharge our civic responsibility of paying taxes," she said.

She appealed to the Transport Owners Association to give the IRS their support and ensure that their members pay their taxes regularly.

The new receipt books have holograms bearing the initials IRS to reduce the incidence of fake receipts. There are other in-built security features on the receipts, which are not visible to the naked eye.