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The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has filed his personal income tax returns for the 2025 tax year at the headquarters of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Also filing alongside Dr Forson was the Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko.
The exercise, which took a few minutes to complete, was aimed at strengthening public confidence in the tax system.
The gesture was expected to demonstrate that government officials are equally bound by tax obligations and must lead by example.
After completing the process at the headquarters of GRA in Accra last Thursday, the Finance Minister stated that paying taxes was both a civic duty and a moral responsibility necessary for national development.
He said visible compliance by public leaders could help rebuild trust in state institutions and encourage voluntary tax compliance among citizens.
Dr Forson stated that all individuals and businesses were equal before the law, and for that reason no one was exempted from fulfilling tax responsibilities.
He urged Ghanaians to file their tax returns promptly to help increase compliance, accelerate development and reduce the country’s reliance on borrowing.
He also commended GRA for its ongoing efforts to promote tax education and the improvement of compliance systems across the country.
The Finance Minister stated that digital platforms introduced by the authority were making it easier for taxpayers to file returns and meet their obligations.
He said reforms aimed at simplifying the tax process and reducing compliance costs would be accelerated to encourage wider participation.
Dr Forson stated that the Tax and Compliance Month initiative had been extended to May to allow more individuals and businesses to regularise their tax status.
“Compliance is not just a legal obligation, it is a moral responsibility on all of us as Ghanaians,” he stated.
He urged citizens to file their returns promptly.
Dr Forson stressed that increased domestic revenue mobilisation remained critical to reducing the country's dependence on borrowing for development projects.
He said when citizens complied fully with their tax obligations, the burden of national development would be shared more fairly across society.
The Finance Minister stated that sustained compliance would strengthen transparency and accountability in public financial management.
“Remember that we cannot always use borrowing to develop; it is only through domestic resource mobilisation that our development can be sustained,” Dr Forson said.
The Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Division of GRA, Dr Martin Kolbil Yamborigya, commended the Finance Minister and his deputy for demonstrating leadership through their actions.
He stated that their decision to file their personal income tax returns publicly reinforced the importance of compliance as a civic duty among citizens.
“This act demonstrates leadership by example and reinforces the importance of tax compliance as a civic duty,” he stated.
Dr Yamborigya urged public officials, including Members of Parliament and government appointees, to emulate the example by filing their returns promptly and accurately.
The Commissioner of the Support Services Division at the GRA, Dr Alex Adomako-Mensah, said tax filing was central to national development and effective public service delivery.
“The filing of the tax return is not merely an administrative requirement; it is a civic responsibility and the cornerstone of our national development,” he stated.
