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Ghana Law School Director Mawell Opoku Agyemang says the generalization that not all lawyers pay tax is unfair to the legal fraternity.
He said that only a fraction of people in the profession pay no tax.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame made a passionate appeal to lawyers across the country to ensure they honor their tax obligations at the opening of the 2021 Bar Conference in Bolgatanga in the region of Upper East.
According to him, many of the taxes paid by some lawyers are not commensurate with their luxurious lifestyle or the income they generate.
Mr Dame said tax evasion by any means is criminal and against the country’s code of ethics and professional rules for lawyers.
“It is sad to say that many lawyers are caught up in the phenomenon of tax evasion because they unwarrantedly avoid being caught in the tax net, either by underestimating their profits or by hiding their real income. . The luxurious lifestyle of some lawyers, riding in the most luxurious vehicles and acquiring high-end properties, hardly matches the amount of taxes they pay, ”said Godfred Dame.
But speaking to Kesben FM’s Omanhene Yaw Adu Boakye on Tuesday morning, Mawell Opoku Agyemang said lawyers pay taxes.
According to him, investigating judges, state prosecutors, including lawyers in public services, public agencies and private entities, are all lawyers who pay their taxes.
“What they may be referring to are the few private practitioners who haven’t opened companies,” he said.
Lawyer Opoku Agyemang explained that before anyone could have a large private business in Ghana, they would need a tax clearance certificate before they could even access a renewal license.
“So even before getting a tax renewal license, you should have paid all of your taxes,” he said.
He stressed that “even that is the responsibility of the Ghana Revenue Authority. Paying taxes is like pulling a lock of hair out of your nose and we know how painful it is. They must therefore make it attractive and also find ways of identifying and evaluating them. If after identification and assessment they still refuse to pay, it is tax evasion and whether you are a lawyer, an accountant or whatever, the law has no respect for anyone.
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