GRA clears Say Cheers of non-compliance, admits tax computation error

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has cleared Say Cheers of tax non-compliance following a review of the company's transactions, attributing earlier concerns about its tax status to miscommunication between the authority and the business.

The GRA said checks conducted through its electronic tax monitoring system confirmed that Say Cheers had been complying with its tax obligations.

Deputy Commissioner of Operations at the GRA, Kwesi Eghan, said the authority had decided to clarify the matter publicly to prevent further damage to the company's reputation following the earlier concerns.

Speaking to the press in Accra during an exercise to clamp down on businesses that fail to comply with tax regulations, Mr Eghan apologised to Say Cheers and acknowledged that the authority's initial communication had created a misleading impression about the company's compliance status.

“We’ve checked the system. We are very comfortable from our end. Indeed, we have checked the transactions that have been done, and it’s obvious that Say Cheers is complying, indeed has been complying,” he said.

Mr Eghan explained that the authority considered it necessary to correct the record after its initial concerns attracted public attention.

He said the GRA was prepared to acknowledge the communication error and apologise to the company to ensure that the public received accurate information about its tax compliance status.

“If there has been any miscommunication, we are mature enough to give you apologies and let the general public also understand that Say Cheers is compliant,” he stated.

The clarification follows the GRA's earlier concerns about Say Cheers' tax compliance. However, subsequent checks of the company's transactions established that it had been meeting its tax obligations.

Mr Eghan stressed that correcting the public record was important, particularly because the initial concerns had already drawn attention to the business.

He added that fairness required the authority to give the clarification the same level of public attention as the earlier communication that raised questions about the company's tax status.

The development underscores the importance of accurate communication in tax enforcement, as the GRA continues efforts to identify and address non-compliance among businesses across the country.