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The collection f Value Added Tax (VAT) will be automated by the second quarter of this year, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has stated.

The measure will involve linking the teller systems, including point of sale (POS) devices of VAT-eligible companies and supermarkets, to ensure that the tax is credited directly to the GRA at the point of purchase.

The measure will ensure convenience on the payment and filing of VAT returns, broaden the tax net and enhance compliance with the ultimate goal of increasing revenue collection for the state.

The acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, explained that the initiative was part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate human interference in tax revenue collection.

“Basically, it’s a service that, through your phone, POS devices or normal till systems, ensures that at the time of sales, the VAT component is deducted and immediately credited to the tax authority automatically.

“With this, you don’t have an interval between the time of collection and the time of accounting for what has been collected on behalf of the authority,” he said.