Celebrities to be taxed for ‘expensive lifestyle’ – GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) talk about celebrities. According to Dominic Naab, persons in the creative art industry will be taxed based on their lifestyles. He made these statements at a tax sensitization workshop

“The GRA will see to it that persons in the creative arts pay their tax because they earn a lot and live expensive lifestyles”

According to him, governments tax celebrities all over the world based on their lifestyles. Therefore, the same formula will apply here in Ghana.

Moreover, he stated that the creative industry persons have to explain for example if they get gifts in the form of a car, a house or anything valuable.

“We tax based on the expensive cars the creative people drive. Therefore, the onus lies on them to explain to us that the cars or the expensive lifestyle are all sponsored by other people” 

Actors, Martha Ankomah, Gloria Osei Sarfo, Beverly Afaglo, Bob Smith and others were at the workshop. However, they were displeased with Mr Naab’s comments.

Furthermore, Martha Ankomah stated that it was unfair to tax her on her lifestyle. This is because others sponsor her.

“How do you know whether I rented the car or the car I am driving belongs to a friend? The fact that I take pictures at an expensive place doesn’t mean I am living an expensive lifestyle”

Also, Beverly Afaglo said GRA has to explain the taxation process well for the understanding of every artiste or anyone in the creative arts

“I personally disagree with how GRA wants the creative arts people to pay tax. Some of the creative people have well to do families who support them. Also, GRA can’t tax them because they live expensive lifestyles. Displaying your expensive lifestyle is not enough to tax us”