The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has ordered financial institutions, mobile money operators, and other charging entities to immediately refund any E-Levy deductions made on transactions from April 2, 2025, onwards.
This directive follows the official abolition of the 1% Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) after President John Mahama signed the Electronic Transfer Levy Act, 2022 (Act 1075) and its amendment, Act 1089, into law.
The E-Levy, which had sparked significant controversy since its introduction, is now officially scrapped. However, the GRA has emphasized that any wrongful deductions must be refunded immediately to avoid penalties.
The GRA’s message is clear: institutions failing to process refunds promptly will face sanctions. Charging entities must halt the 1% E-Levy on all electronic transactions, quickly refund any deductions made since April 2, 2025, and submit reports on the refunds to the GRA.
Edward Apenteng Gyamerah, Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division, warned that compliance checks will be carried out regularly. “Failure to comply constitutes an offence, and sanctions will be imposed,” he stated.
To prevent further deductions, the GRA’s Electronic Transfer Levy Management and Assurance System (ELMAS) has been updated to automatically return a “no charge” response for all transactions. As of April 2, 2025, no E-Levy should be deducted on mobile money, bank transfers, or other electronic transactions.
While customers are entitled to refunds for wrongful deductions, the GRA reminded charging entities to settle all outstanding E-Levy payments for transactions before April 2, 2025.
The GRA also warned that failure to follow these directives will result in severe penalties. Institutions are required to retain electronic transaction records for at least six years, as per the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915), and continue posting transactions to ELMAS as instructed.
To assist with compliance, the GRA has set up an E-Levy Technical Support Team but made it clear that there will be no excuses. The public is encouraged to report any wrongful deductions directly to the GRA.
