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Lesson 4 Taxation of Employment Income
Lesson 4 Taxation of Employment Income
College of Humanities
University of Ghana Business School
Department of Accounting
Session
Overview
Lesson Objectives:
§ By the end of this session you should be able to
• Understand the various sources of employment income
• Explain the benefits in kinds
• Compute the chargeable income and the tax thereon from
employment
Session Outline
§ The key topics to be covered in this session are as follows:
• Employment Income Defined
• Allowances paid in cash or given in kind
• Overtime and Bonus
• Personal Reliefs and Other Allowable Deductions
• Some other issues on Employment income
Reading
List
§ Amidu, M. (2019), Principles and Practice of Taxation, First
Edition, Digibooks, Accra. Ghana Chapter 5, (pages 151-75)
§ Ali-Nakyea A. (2016), Taxation in Ghana-Principles, Practice
& Planning, Black Mask Ltd., 3rd Edition. Chapter 4, (pages
100-127)
§ Income Tax ACT, 2015 (ACT 896), Ghana Publishing
Company Limited, (Assembly Press), Accra, Ghana, Section 4
Fourth Schedule
Topic
One
Required:
Compute her basic salary for 2017 year of assessment.
Employment
Income
Solution to Illustrations 4.1
Vehicle with fuel 10% of the total cash emoluments of the person
up to a maximum of GH¢500 per month
Overtime more than 50% of monthly basic salary 10% final tax
Bonus in excess of 15% of annual basic salary (the difference) Personal Tax Rate
A qualifying junior employee is a person whose employment income for a year of assessment does
the exceed eighteen thousand currency points
Employment
Income
Bonuses
and
Overtime
Illustration 4.5
Joeman works with ACB Company limited and on an annual salary of
GH¢100,000. He was paid a bonus of GH¢14,000 in December, 2018.
It must be noted that the bonus amount will not be included in ascertaining the
total cash emolument of the employee since the tax paid on the bonus is a final
withholding tax.
Employment Income
Personal Reliefs
§ A tax relief is a legally approved deductible allowance intended to
reduce a tax payer’s taxable income and thereby lessens the tax burden.
§ It is intended to cushion the effect of tax on the individual and to make
it bearable for him to pay the tax.
§ It is based on the individual’s circumstances and the equity principles.
§ This means that tax reliefs are concessions, provisions and conditions
made available to taxpayers.
§ They serve as:-
• motivation and encouragement;
• means of reducing the tax liability and also lessens the tax burden
on taxpayers
• and offers a certain level of respite,
Personal
Reliefs
Type Limit Value (GH¢) 2016 Value (GH¢) 2020
Dependent Relief Spouse or at least two 200 1,200
children
Disability Relief Disability 25% of assessable 25% of assessable
income from business income from business
or employment or employment
Slide
24
Employment Income
Retirement Fund and Insurance
• The National Pensions Act 2008, (Act 766), provides among other
things that, employers are mandated to withhold 5.5% of the basic
salary of each employee and contribute 13% of each employee’s
salary towards the mandatory first and second tier pension
scheme.
• The total contribution of 18.5% is to split as follows:
• 13.5% is remitted to the first tier mandatory social security
scheme within 14 days after the end of each month to SSNIT;
and
• 5% is remitted to the second tier mandatory privately managed
pensions approved by the National Pension Authority.
Employment
Income
Payment
from
Retirement
Fund
and
Insurance
Note:
• Section 89 (1) and section 104 (1) of the National Pensions Act
2008, (Act 766), provides that the employer and employee
shall not pay income tax in respect of the contribution made
towards the retirement or pension scheme.
• This assertion is limited to the 35% threshold. (18.5% +
16.5%).
• Any contribution beyond the 35% is taxable.
Employment Income
Withholding of Taxes by Employers
§ Regulation (L.I. 2244) among other things suggests that every employer
who is either resident or non-resident with permanent establishment shall
withhold taxes as prescribed by Act 896.
§ A non-resident public entertainer who renders a service in the country
shall, for tax purposes, be treated as an employee of the promoter of the
event in respect of which that public entertainer renders the service.
§ The Regulation further provides that the income of the public entertainer
shall be deemed as an income from employment and the income will be
computed accordingly.
§ The “public entertainer” is defined to include a stage artist, a motion
picture artist, a radio artist, a musician, a sportsman or sportswoman
including any athlete, footballer or boxer.
Employment Income
Casual and Temporary Workers
§ A final tax of 5% shall be withheld on the gross payment to casual
workers.
§ A casual worker is someone engaged on a work, which is seasonal
or intermittent, and for a continuous period of not more than six
months and whose remuneration is calculated daily.
§ A temporary worker on the hand is a person employed for a
continuous period of not less than one month and is not a
permanent worker or employed for a work that is seasonal in
nature .
§ The applicable tax shall be deducted as specified by Act 896 which
is either graduated rate or at a rate of 20% depending on the
residence of the person.
Employment Income
Employment Income Assessment Format
Name
Year of Assessment:
Basis Period:
GH¢ GH¢
Basic Salary XXX
Add: All Cash Allowances
Cost of living allowance XX
Subsistence allowance XX
Entertainment allowance XX
Travel allowance XX
Night duty allowance XX XXX
Employment Income
Employment Income Assessment Format
Add: Other cash benefits
Fees XX
Commission XX
Gratuities XX
Leave Pay XX
Overtime pay (Sect 4 & Reg. 5) XX
Excess Bonus (Sect 4 & Reg. 5) XX
A reimbursement of an expense incurred XX
A payment to condition of service XX
Other payments (including gifts received) XX
All other taxable benefits in cash/kind XX
•
Employment
Income
Employment
Income
Assessment
Format
Indirect cash payments:
A retirement contribution XX
A discharge of an expense incurred XX
A payment made condition of service XX
Other personal liabilities paid by an employer: XX XXX
Total cash emoluments from employment XXXX
Add: non-cash benefits:
Car element XX
Rent element XX
Loan benefits XX
Utility bills etc. XX XXX
Qualifying employment income XXXX
Employment Income
Employment Income Assessment Format
Other non-cash benefits (sect 4 & 26) XXX
Assessable income from employment XXXX
Less: Reliefs (if applicable)
Marriage/responsibility XX
Disabled individual XX
Old age XX
Child education XX
Aged dependent relative XX
Cost of training XX XXX
XXXX
Employment Income
Employment Income Assessment Format
Other allowable deductions:
Social security contribution
(Sect 91, 93, 95, 96 & application of Act
766 National Pension Act, 2008) XX
Voluntary (provident fund) XX
Mortgage interest (Sch. 6(4 & 5) XX
Contributions and donations
to a worthwhile cause (Sect 100) XX XXXX
Chargeable income XXXX
Employment Income
Employment Income Assessment Format
Add: Other Income from abroad:
foreign country (Sect 103 & 111) XX
LESS: Foreign Tax Credit Allowable (Sect. 112) XX XXXX
Chargeable income from employment XXXX
See Page 176 -200 for more discussion questions and problems