The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has held a seminar for small tax payers in Cape Coast and its environs to help deepen their understanding of the tax laws and relevant taxpayer issues.

It is the GRA’s desire to achieve a reasonable degree of voluntary tax compliance in the informal sector through education on tax laws and to work together with stakeholders to smoothen the rough edges for effective implementation.

The taxpayers were enlightened on their responsibilities and obligations under the Revenue Administration Act 2016 (ACT 915),Valued Added Tax (VAT) Flat Rate Scheme.

Mr Charles Forson, Western and Central Regional Communication and Public Affairs Officer of the GRA, said the aim of the seminar was to help keep the taxpayers abreast with the provisions of the tax laws and also to explain some misconceptions on taxes.

He said honouring tax obligations voluntarily would help to mobilise sufficient revenue to accelerate national development and that tax evasion is a crime against the state.

Mr Forson said recent tax education has started yielding encouraging results as the response of taxpayers to tax issues has increased significantly especially in the informal sector.

Mr Emmanuel Kodzo Akpaku, Head of Cape Coast Small Tax Office (STO), said the GRA has introduced modern technology into the processes of revenue mobilisation to rake in more revenue to accelerate national development.

The move, he said, would help block the loopholes in revenue generation and ensure all taxpayers complied with the tax laws.

He entreated taxpayers to study the new Revenue Administration Act 2016 (Act 915), to keep abreast with its regulations.

Mr Akpaku said it was obligatory for qualified citizens and entities to file their tax returns promptly adding that the GRA would go all out to engage taxpayers especially those in the informal sector to get them to appreciate the effort.

Mr Walter Tuffour, a Senior Revenue Officer STO, who spoke on the responsibilities and obligations of the taxpayer under the Revenue Administration Act, took the participants through the processes and requirement of taxpayers according to the new tax law.

He urged entrepreneurs to establish businesses in the districts to enjoy the temporal tax concession granted by the GRA to expand their businesses and create more job opportunities.