The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) has set December 31, 2020, as the deadline for the filing of annual tax returns.

“The deadline extension was granted to clients due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and the inability of Companies to hold their Annual General Meetings due to the pandemic.”

These were contained in a press release signed by Mrs Jemima Oware, the Registrar General, and made available to the Ghana News Agency.

It said the notice for filing of Annual Returns for this year December 2020, applied to companies which financial year ended in December 2019 as well as those whose financial year ended in June 2020.

“Penalty for defaulting on the filing of Annual Returns remains GHS400.00 as initially communicated. The Penalty for late filing would, however, go up to GHS450.00 from Monday, 4th January 2021,” it added.

It asked that sole proprietorships and partnerships should also renew their business names to be in good standing with the Department by the 31st of December, 2020, adding that failure to renew the business names shall be deemed to have lapsed and the Registrar may remove the business names from the Register.

“The Renewal fee for business names is GH¢25.00 for each year and does not attract any penalty,” it said and reminded clients that companies which were yet to do their re-registration (Companies registered between 1963 to 2011) were to do so before Wednesday, June 30, 2021, to avoid being delisted from the database of the Companies Register.

“We wish to however reiterate that the Registrar-General’s Department does not have a Mobile Money Account Number nor have we appointed any agents to visit homes and businesses to enforce compliance. There is no ‘Cancellation Unit’ or ‘Lawyers’ mandated to strike out Companies at RGD.”

It advised clients to desist from using middlemen when transacting business with the Department and encouraged them to visit the website, www.rgd.gov.gh for any enquiries and to download any business Forms.