Compliance with income tax administration among micro, small and medium enterprises in Ghana

In a developing country like Ghana, Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in the socio-economic development of the economy. Payment of income tax by MSMEs remains one of the key sources of government revenue for development activities in Ghana. However, not much is known regarding the compliance of MSMEs with income tax administration in Ghana. Understanding income tax administration compliance and associated challenges among MSMEs could assist relevant policy actors in designing strategies to improve income tax administration in Ghana. Against this background, a mixed-method study involving 210 (200 MSMEs and 10 key informants) sample was conducted to examine the compliance of MSMEs with income tax administration in the Nkwanta South District of Ghana. The study revealed a lack of tax education, high tax rate, low level of income, and high household consumption levels as the dominant and influential factors to tax compliance among the MSMEs. The study further showed that challenges associated with tax administration include low institutional capacity, inadequate resources, negative public attitude towards tax payment, lack of collaboration between the tax agencies, and political interference. Based on these findings, it is important for policymakers and tax collection institutions to strengthen and streamline existing measures to ensure effective income tax administration in Ghana.