Award-winning Gospel musician, Diana Hamilton, has voiced her discontent with Ghana’s taxation system for events during an appearance on the United Showbiz on Saturday, February 10, 2024.
Hamilton highlighted her experience of organizing events both in the UK and Ghana, noting a significant disparity in how the two countries tax event organizers.
She noted that in the UK, the tax system is very conducive and feasible since she is only taxed on her profits, and should she run at a loss, there is no tax.
“I have the privilege of hosting events in the UK and Ghana. If I hold an event in the UK, all the monies accrued will go into my account. I make all my withdrawals, and at the end of the year, I get taxed on my profits. And if I make a loss, I do not get taxed.
However, that is not the same in Ghana. She bemoaned the ineffectiveness of officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) whom she says fail to properly apply taxes.
“But in Ghana, when I am hosting an event, the GRA officials won’t check anything; all they do is stand at the entrance and count the number of people entering the hall and they tax you. With or without complimentary tickets, as long as anyone enters the hall, they will count everyone and tax you on that without taking into consideration the venue, cost of production, and all that.”
Diana is calling for decisive measures to ensure a more respectable and competent tax system in Ghana to save businesses.
“I’ve had the privilege of doing both, and I hope we look into this and a solution will be found,” she said.