How to calculate E-levy in Ghana

The E-Levy is a Levy on all electronic transfers of money apart from those excluded by law introduced by the Government of Ghana in 2022. The rate is 1.5%. Since the introduction of the e-levy, there have been a lot of controversies on calculating the charges of the e-levy.

In this blog post, we are going to show you how you can easily calculate the electronic levy(E-levy)

To calculate e-levy in Ghana, find 1.5% of the amount you want to send and that will be the charge for e-levy. Eg; if you want to send GHC 500 to a friend, you will be charged 1.5% (GHC6) as e-levy. That’s excluding the first GHC100.

If you find it difficult to calculate, you can use this portal to check it easily.

Why was E-levy Introduced?

The following are the main reasons why the e-levy was introduced;

1. To enhance domestic tax mobilization and expand the tax base.
2. To provide an opportunity for everyone to contribute towards national development.

Entities Charged to charge the E-levy

The entities responsible for charging the Levy are;

1. Mobile Money providers like MTN Momo, Vodafone Cash, AirtelTigo Money, Zeepay, GCB G-Money, and Yup Ghana, etc.
2. Payment Service Providers (PSPs). They include eTranzact, JuniPay, Korba, Nsano etc.
3. Banks like Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), etc.
4. Specialized Deposit-Taking Institutions (SDIs) such as rural and community banks and savings and loans companies, finance houses etc.
5. Other Financial Institutions prescribed by Regulations.

Transfers That Fall Under E-levy

The following transfers fall under the e-Levy:

1. Mobile money transfers done between wallets on the same electronic money issuer– For example sending money from your MTN Momo wallet to another person’s MTN Momo wallet.
2. Transfers from a wallet on one electronic money issuer to a recipient on another electronic money issuer – For example sending money from your Vodafone Cash wallet to another person’s AirtelTigo wallet.
3. Transfers from bank accounts to mobile money wallets: For example, Kofi transfers money from his CBG bank account to Ama’s G-Money wallet.
4. Transfers from mobile money wallets to bank accounts: For example, Esi transfers money from her Zeepay wallet to Yayra’s bank account.
5. Bank transfers on an instant pay digital platform or application which originates from a bank account belonging to an individual: For example, Kwame transferring money from his ADB account using the ADB app to Akua’s National Investment Bank account.

Transfers Excluded From E-levy

The following transfers are excluded from the Levy:

1. Cumulative transfer of GHS 100 per day made by the same person using mobile money:Everyone will be able to send up to GHS100 a day without paying the Levy.
2. Transfer between accounts owned by the same person: If you are sending money to your own account, you will not be charged the E-Levy provided your bank or mobile money accounts are linked with your Ghana Card PIN. For example, a transfer from Naa’s AirtelTigo wallet to her MTN wallet or from her Fidelity bank account to her Prudential bank account or from her CalBank savings account to her current or investment account will not attract the Levy because Naa has linked all accounts with her Ghana Card.
3. Transfers for the payment of taxes, fees, and charges: Any payment of taxes, fees or charges made using the Ghana.gov platform or other designated Government of Ghana payment systems will not attract the Levy.
4. Electronic Clearing of Cheques: Clearing of cheques by banks and Specialized Deposit-Taking Institutions such as Savings and Loans companies, etc. will not attract the Levy.
5. Specified Merchant Payments: Transfers made through an electronic payment service (mobile money, bank application, FinTech platform, etc.) to a commercial establishment which is registered with the Ghana Revenue Authority for the purposes of Income Tax or Value Added Tax are excluded.
6. Transfers among principal, agent, and master-agent accounts: To avoid charging the Levy multiple times, transfers among principal, agent, and master-agent are excluded from the Levy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are some frequently asked questions related to how e-levy is calculated;

When will the E-Levy be charged?

When a person makes a transfer, the charging entity will add the Levy to the transfer amount and charge the person’s wallet or bank account.

Who will be collecting the E-Levy?

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will collect and account for the Levy.

How is e-levy calculated in Ghana?

According to the minister of finance, the 1.5% e-levy will be paid by the sender on all mobile money payments, bank transfers, and merchant payments.
What is the percentage of e-levy in Ghana?

1.75% is the rate of the E-levy which the Government decided to apply to all transactions.
Does the e-levy affect withdrawal?

A member of the E-Levy Technical Committee at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Isaac Amoako, has said ATM withdrawals do not attract E-levy.

How do you avoid e-levy?

As a business, to avoid being charged E-Levy on your transactions, first make sure that the supermarket/shop has a merchant shortcode registered to the GRA. You have to determine if the vendor is registered with the GRA before initiating the transaction.

Who pays the e-Levy?

Everyone who uses electronic means of sending money through mobile money or bank accounts. The E-Levy is 1.5% of all cumulative daily transfers of more than GHS 100.

What is meant by e-levy in Ghana?

The E-levy is a tax imposed on electronic transfers charged at the time of transfer. The law is administered by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and collected through licensed Banks, Specialized Deposit-Taking Institutions, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs).

What are the advantages of e-levy?

Benefits of e-levy

• Saves on print, paper, and postage costs.
• Reduces time spent processing levies electronically.
• Safe, secure, and easy to track ACH debit transactions.
• Easy-to-use filtering tools to help manage your levies.

Does e-levy affect bank transactions?

Any transfer to or from a mobile money account or from a bank account of a person will be subject to the tax. These include; Transfers done on the same mobile money network – for example, sending money from your G-Money wallet to another person’s G-Money wallet.

Conclusion 

This article discussed everything you needed to know about calculating the electronic levy(e-levy) in Ghana.

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