CHURCHES URGED TO PAY TAXES (PAGE 20)

RELIGIOUS bodies in the country are required by law to disclose all their incomes that are not related to their core function of providing ecclesiastical services and accordingly pay taxes on them.
Among the taxable incomes of religious bodies are monies in respect of running of transport business, bookshops, guest houses, schools, farms, printing presses and bakery.
A chief inspector of training of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Mr F.E.K. Akoto, who made this known in Sunyani, added that pastors’ appreciation days and all gifts received should also attract tax.
Speaking at a day’s seminar, on income tax laws for religious bodies, Mr Akoto again stated that incomes arising out of pastors, priests and Imams’ employment, their private businesses, and as resource persons and authorship, should attract the requisite tax regime.
The theme for the seminar organised by the IRS and the Value Added tax (VAT) Service, was “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”.
Mr Akoto, who spoke on the topic: “Obligations of religious bodies in Ghana’s tax system”, therefore, urged the participants to file their tax returns at the end of the year and pay the requisite taxes, including those on all gifts received and capital gains realised.
He said the participants were obliged to register their churches’ non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other businesses, keep clear records and report all earnings correctly to the Commissioner of Taxes and also file all tax returns by the due dates.
According to Mr Akoto, the taxpayer, however, ought to enjoy certain rights, including courtesy and consideration, fairness and transparency, objections and appeal; claim personal tax relief’s, deduct all allowable expenses, claim refund of ascertained taxes overpaid, as well as privacy and confidentiality.
On personal tax reliefs, he explained that they were approved deductible allowance from the assessable incomes of an individual which was intended to reduce the taxable income and thereby lessen the individual tax burden.
Mr Akoto added that reliefs were not given automatically but the taxpayer ought to fulfil certain laid down conditions.
The chief inspector of taxes further explained that funds provided by taxation had been used by states and their functional equivalents throughout history to carry out many functions, such as the enforcement of law and public order and the protection of property, the development of economic infrastructure, as well as operation of government itself.