Ghana’s tax system is more data driven and enforcement focused than at any point in modern fiscal history, law firm Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa and Ankomah (BELA) says in a new report.
The assessment, contained in the firm’s Tax Outlook 2026, lands as government intensifies domestic revenue mobilisation ahead of the expected conclusion this year of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Ghana is working to protect fiscal gains made under the US$3 billion Extended Credit Facility secured in 2023 after a severe debt and balance of payments crisis.
According to BELA, the expanding digital capabilities of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), alongside sweeping changes to value added tax (VAT) administration and transfer pricing enforcement, are reshaping the compliance landscape. The firm said discrepancies will be caught earlier, audits will be more targeted and tolerance for informal tax positions will shrink, as periodic engagement with auditors gives way to continuous, data backed oversight.
Central to the strategy is the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS), launched on 1 April 2026. The platform automates registration, filing, payment, assessment and audit, and lets the GRA cross check taxpayer records against data from banks, the Lands Commission, the Office of the Registrar of Companies and immigration authorities, sharpening its ability to flag inconsistencies and select audits.
The report said the nationwide rollout of Fiscal Electronic Devices (FEDs) marks a structural shift in VAT enforcement. The devices send transaction data from point of sale systems to the GRA in real time, narrowing the room for under reporting and building a continuous audit trail. For businesses in the regime, BELA said the days of concentrating VAT risk in an annual audit cycle are effectively over.
The drive follows a slide in Ghana’s tax to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to about 13.8 percent in 2022, below the sub Saharan African average. Total tax revenue rose to roughly GH¢153.5 billion in 2025 from GH¢113.4 billion in 2024, though the firm cautioned that part of the rise reflected inflation rather than a durable widening of the base. It said fiscal strategy has moved tax policy “from the periphery to the centre of economic management.”
Authorities have pushed through major legislative changes, including a new VAT regime effective January 2026 that abolished the COVID-19 levy, restructured the VAT calculation framework and allowed deductibility for certain levies. The VAT Flat Rate Scheme was also scrapped, pushing many retailers and wholesalers onto the standard system with stricter invoicing and reporting duties.
Sectors flagged for heavier scrutiny include mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, financial services, real estate and import dependent firms. BELA said the GRA’s Transfer Pricing Unit is stepping up audits, using country by country reporting data and information exchange agreements to spot multinationals declaring unusually low profits in Ghana relative to their global earnings.
The firm warned the environment could turn more aggressive if fiscal pressures return after the IMF programme ends, risking a system geared toward short term revenue extraction rather than long term development. A steadier path remains possible if macroeconomic gains hold, it added, noting that inflation fell to 5.4 percent by December 2025 from 23.8 percent at the start of the year, while the Bank of Ghana cut its policy rate by 1,000 basis points to 18 percent. Businesses that invest early in tax governance and documentation, BELA said, will be better placed to limit penalties, disputes and reputational risk.
