GRA set to tax Obinim and others for selling Obinim sticker, holy water, anointing oil

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Emmanuel Kofi Nti, has said that his outfit will soon start prosecuting pastors who refuse to pay tax on sales from anointing oil, holy water and other items sold in their various churches.

This comment comes on the heels of a mammoth debate over whether or not the sale of these items constitutes commercial activities and therefore should be taxed.

The GRA Commissioner-General speaking in an interview said that the only church activities exempt from taxes are offering and tithes.

“The man of God; is he, not an individual? And is he not accountable to the state for his tax obligations? There is an opportunity for us to look at it,” he said, refuting suggestions that taxing businesses owned by churches will be met with stiff resistance.

He said the popular Obinim Sticker will be taxed accordingly because “it is income to him [Bishop Daniel Obinim].”