Running a business in Ghana means dealing with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). And GRA doesn’t wait for you to be ready — it has fixed deadlines, and missing them triggers automatic penalties.

The good news: the dates don’t change from year to year. Once you know the rhythm, staying compliant becomes part of your monthly routine rather than a fire you’re constantly putting out.

Here’s every key date you need to have on your calendar.

Every Month: PAYE — 15th of the Following Month

If your business pays salaries, you’re deducting income tax (PAYE) from your employees every month. That money doesn’t belong to you — it belongs to GRA. And it must be sent in by the 15th of the following month.

So September salaries → PAYE remittance due by October 15.

What happens if you miss it: 10% penalty on the outstanding amount, plus daily interest at the Bank of Ghana monetary policy rate. It adds up fast.

Common mistake: Businesses that process payroll late in the month often miss the 15th deadline because reconciliation isn’t done in time. Build the remittance into the same process as payroll — not as an afterthought.

Every Month: VAT — End of the Following Month

If your business is VAT-registered, you must file a VAT return every single month — even if you had no VAT transactions that month. GRA still wants the return; this is called a nil return.

Deadline: Last day of the following month.

So VAT collected in September → return and payment due by October 31.

What happens if you miss it: GHS 500 penalty per month, or 10% of the outstanding VAT — whichever is higher.

Important: A lot of businesses think if they had no VAT sales, they don’t need to file. That’s wrong. The nil return is still required. Skipping it still attracts the penalty.

Every Month: Withholding Tax (WHT) — End of the Following Month

If your business pays rent, contractors, or certain professional service providers, you’re required to withhold a percentage of that payment and send it to GRA on the other person’s behalf.

Deadline: End of the following month — same timing as VAT.

What happens if you miss it: 5% penalty per month on the outstanding amount.

Who this affects most: Businesses that rent commercial premises, businesses that use a lot of freelancers or subcontractors, and businesses in sectors like construction, printing, and cleaning services.

Three Times a Year: Provisional Income Tax

This one catches a lot of businesses off guard. Ghana businesses are required to pay their estimated income tax in advance — in three equal instalments across the year.

Each instalment is one-third of your estimated tax for the year, based on last year’s tax or your best estimate of this year’s profit.

What happens if you don’t pay: GRA can treat the unpaid amount as outstanding tax and pursue it with penalties and interest.

The issue most businesses face: They don’t know they’re supposed to pay, or they don’t have the cash set aside, or they don’t know how to calculate the right amount. This is where having an accountant or advisor becomes genuinely valuable — not as a luxury, but as cost avoidance.

Once a Year: Annual Income Tax Return — April 30

At the end of each year, every business must file a full annual income tax return — showing actual profits, actual tax, and any balance still owed after provisional payments.

Deadline: April 30 of the following year.

So for the 2025 tax year → annual return due by April 30, 2026.

What this requires: Audited financial statements (for larger businesses) or at minimum a signed set of accounts. This is why getting your year-end accounts done quickly matters — you need them before this deadline, not after.

Once a Year: Individual Income Tax — April 30

If you’re a business owner, director, or self-employed person who earns income outside of a salaried payroll, you also have a personal income tax return obligation.

Deadline: April 30 of the following year — same as the corporate return.

Quick Summary: Your Annual Tax Calendar

The Honest Reality

Most small and medium businesses in Ghana are not fully on top of all of these deadlines. It’s not because business owners don’t care — it’s because they’re busy running the business, and the tax calendar rarely makes it into their planning conversations.

But GRA’s penalties are automatic, and they compound. A missed VAT return in January is a GHS 500 penalty. Eleven more missed returns by December is GHS 5,500 — before the tax itself. Add interest, and the liability grows every single month.

The fix is simple: put these dates in your calendar now, assign someone responsible for each, and make the remittance part of the same process as the payment — not a separate step you’ll get to later.

You can download the 2026 Ghana Business Compliance Calendar below.

📥 Download 2026 Ghana Business Compliance Calendar →