Same tax, smarter collection
How GRA’s Sentinal system will make foreign digital platforms pay their fair share, without adding a single new tax to your bill It is Friday evening in Accra. Ama settles onto her sofa, opens her phone and renews her monthly streaming subscription with mobile money. A few kilometers away, Kwame, who runs a small graphic … The post Same tax, smarter collection appeared first on Ghanaian Times .
Ghana's revenue authority GRA is implementing a new system called Sentinal to ensure foreign digital platforms pay their fair share of taxes. This system, known as Real-Time VAT (RTVAT), does not introduce a new tax, but rather improves the current tax collection method. RTVAT will automatically calculate and withhold the 20% VAT from transactions with foreign digital service providers, without adding any additional charges for consumers.
The new system relies on existing payment channels such as banks, mobile money operators, and payment service providers. It applies to digital services like streaming platforms, cloud storage, online gaming, software subscriptions, and online marketplaces. The reform law, enacted on January 1, 2026, lowers the VAT rate to 20% and eliminates the 1% levy.
Sentinal ensures that only payments for digital services made with Ghana-issued payment methods, from non-resident businesses, and involving electronic services are subject to RTVAT. Consumers are not affected if they use local payment methods or purchase goods and services from local businesses.
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