Broader consultation on E-Levy must be held, Telcos Chamber
Chief Executive of the Telecommunications Chamber, Ken Ashigbey has affirmed that tithes paid via mobile money will attract the 1.5% levy on electronic transfers.
According to him, once the payment is being made electronically, whether to a corporate organization or not, the charge applies.
There has been contention on whether tithes and offerings were exempt from the E-Levy since churches do pay taxes.
But Ken Ashigbey, speaking on Joy FM said, “when you are paying from your personal account to a church’s account, [if the church is registered as a corporate organization] since the law does not exempt corporate mobile money, it will still attract it.
“At the end of the day, you will be saying that the law says churches are not supposed to pay taxes, but at the end of the day it is you who is doing the transfer that will be paying the tax.”
Moreover, “you are the person paying your tithe so the burden of the payment on the transfer is on you who is paying. The person paying apart from paying the tithe will have to pay government some taxes so far as the law is concerned.
Ken Ashigbey noted that broader consultations need to be had on the scope of transfers that are affected or otherwise by the E-Levy to avoid cases of unrest and confusion.
Meanwhile the Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah had earlier disputed claims by Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George that tithes were going to be affected by the E-Levy.
Ken Ashigbey is CEO of Telecoms Chamber