Ghana's tax authority collected GH¢185.5 billion in the first ten months of 2026, beating its ten-month target by GH¢1.1 billion, Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong said on Tuesday.

Sarpong outlined the figures at the 15th Ghana Economic Forum in Accra, where he restated the Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) plan to raise GH¢310 billion in domestic revenue by December 2028 by widening the tax net rather than taxing compliant businesses more heavily.

Collections ahead of target

The GH¢185.5 billion collected between January and October compares with a ten-month target of GH¢184.4 billion. The authority's annual target for 2026 is GH¢237 billion, according to the figures Sarpong presented at the forum.

Sarpong said the authority wanted tax revenue to grow as the economy expands, while supporting investment by private businesses through its approach to tax administration. He explained that the aim could not be to collect more from the same taxpayers year after year, because that approach had limits and placed an ever-heavier burden on compliant businesses.

The performance continues a strong run for the authority. In October, Sarpong told Parliament's Public Accounts Committee that the GRA had collected GH¢167 billion by the end of September, exceeding its nine-month target of GH¢165.6 billion by GH¢1.4 billion, despite a shortfall in Value Added Tax collections.

The 2028 target

The GH¢310 billion goal for 2028 was first set out by Sarpong in May 2026, when he told the Ghana CEO Summit that revenue had reached GH¢182 billion in 2025 and that the authority expected to raise the total to more than GH¢310 billion by 2028. Repeating the target at the Economic Forum, he said the strategy was to widen the tax net and strengthen compliance rather than raise the burden on those already paying.

The authority is pursuing digital reforms to support the goal, including artificial intelligence tools to detect customs undervaluation, electronic invoicing and the Integrated Tax Administration System, alongside electronic fiscal devices.

IMF recognition

The update comes days after the International Monetary Fund recognised Ghana's strong revenue performance in 2026 and progress in tax administration reforms, following the first review under the country's 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument. The Fund said non-oil revenue was projected to rise further in 2027, supported by tax measures announced in July 2026, the review of customs and excise legislation and gains from revenue administration reforms.

Responding to the IMF assessment, Sarpong said the recognition reinforced the authority's contribution to Ghana's economic recovery and fiscal stability, and that the GRA would keep strengthening revenue mobilisation, improving taxpayer services, modernising customs operations and investing in staff.

Ghana's government is preparing its 2027 budget, with the IMF noting that many do not expect new taxes, but rather stronger compliance and implementation of existing tax laws.