VAT Service to Hunt Down Defaulters

The VAT Service on Monday noted that a number of VAT registered persons and companies continue to contravene the VAT Law and said it is mounting an exercise to collect every cedi paid by consumers. Mr Joseph Odartey BlanksonCommissioner of VAT Service, described the action of such persons and companies as a "deliberate abuse of the VAT Law" and said the exercise would commence this month, which is the peak shopping season. "The VAT Service is embarking on a broad-front revenue protection and mobilization exercise to ensure that every cedi of VAT paid by the consumeris duly accounted for," he told a press conference in Accra on the persistent non-compliance of some persons and companies and the effect on the economy.

Mr Blanskon explained that some of them refuse to honour their debt obligations to the Service while others submit their value Added Tax (VAT) returns without payments.

There is also deliberate submission of nil returns, non-issuance of VAT invoices and entertainment providers and Lotto operators refuse to use VAT coupons. The VAT boss said the Service would this week engage in a massive education campaign on radio and television to explain issues that will promote voluntary compliance with the Law. "We are also using test purchase strategy and surveillance in partnership with security personnel under cover to arrest and prosecute those not issuing VAT invoices."

He urged the consuming public to insist on VAT invoices, adding "it isthe only way that we can ensure that they pay the monies to government."