Lawyers must pay taxes commensurate with their income – Dame tells Ghana Bar Association

Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame told fellow lawyers that their annual tax returns should be commensurate with their income.

Speaking at the 2021 bar conference in Bolgatanga, Mr Dame said that the vigilance of lawyers over the years, which has ensured the protection of human rights and the well-being of society, is also necessary to guarantee the economic development of the country.

To achieve this, he advised lawyers to abandon the practice of helping their clients avoid or evade taxes and also take the personal responsibility of leading by example.

“Many lawyers are caught up in the phenomenon of tax evasion because they unjustifiably avoid being caught in the tax net, either by underestimating their profits or by hiding their real income.

“The luxurious lifestyle of lawyers, traveling in the most luxurious vehicles and acquiring high-end properties, is barely commensurate with the amount of taxes they pay. I implore lawyers to honor their tax obligations as much as possible because failure to do so is not only criminal, but borders on a flagrant violation of professional rules, ”he declared.

The attorney general has ruled that lawyers who help their clients evade taxes are disloyal to the state and neglected their professional ethics of being state watchdogs.

He suggested to the Ghana Bar Association to make annual tax compliance a requirement for lawyers to be in good standing.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, himself a lawyer, who was the guest of honor at the bar conference, called the phenomenon of lawyers not paying taxes embarrassing for the profession.

He explained that “lawyers use their knowledge of the law to deliberately avoid paying taxes.”

However, he said that in addressing the issue of taxation, the Law Society is showing courage. He compared this year’s conference to previous editions which tackled major political issues in Ghanaian history.

The 2021 Bar Conference, the culmination of the Bar’s activities each year, is held under the theme “Ensuring an increase in revenue mobilization through taxation for accelerated national development: the role of the Lawyer”.

Speakers at the opening of the conference included Chief Justice Anin Yeboah and outgoing President of the Ghana Bar Association, Anthony Forson Esq.