Parliament has approved the repeal of the controversial Betting Tax, along with taxes on gaming, lotteries, and the 1.5 per cent withholding tax on unprocessed gold.
The approval on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, follows the passage of the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
With this amendment, winners of betting games will no longer pay the 10% tax on their winnings, a levy introduced under former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
However, this move will create a revenue gap of GH₵268 million for the Mahama-led government. Additionally, the repeal of the unprocessed gold tax will cost the government GH₵145 million.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed that statistics from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) show that between $2.4 billion and $4.6 billion worth of gold was smuggled to Dubai. He expressed optimism that repealing the tax would help curb smuggling.
Though the Minority argued that the emission tax law was not enforced, Dr. Forson indicated that the government had always intended to repeal it.
The Betting Tax, which imposed a 10% levy on gross winnings, was initially introduced to regulate gambling and increase government revenue. However, it faced opposition from bettors and gaming operators, who deemed it burdensome.
During the 2024 election campaign, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) pledged to abolish the tax, describing it as a “nuisance tax.” In line with this promise, Dr. Forson announced its removal in the 2025 budget, a proposal that has now been endorsed by Parliament.
In addition, Parliament has approved the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) Repeal Bill, 2025, effectively scrapping the unpopular digital tax.
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