AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
The Modified Taxation Scheme is a simplified way for small informal-sector earners in Ghana to pay income tax, in force since 1 July 2025. Those with average annual sales of GHC 20,000 or less pay a fixed amount, those between GHC 20,000 and GHC 500,000 pay 3% of turnover, and others pay on profit under a modified cash basis. Professionals with formal qualifications are excluded from the two flat options.
What the scheme is, and is not
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) describes the Modified Taxation Scheme (MTS) as a simplified tax scheme for informal-sector workers, and is careful to say "this is not a new tax, but a redesigned approach to make filing and paying taxes more practical". The Ghana News Agency reported that it took effect on 1 July 2025 and is grounded in the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896). The then Acting Commissioner-General, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, described it as a simplified way to calculate personal income tax for eligible traders and entrepreneurs.
In practice it replaces bookkeeping-heavy profit calculations with either a fixed payment or a percentage of sales for people whose records are thin.
The three tracks
| Track | Who it is for (GRA page) | How tax is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| PTI: Presumptive Tax based on Instalment | Average annual sales of GHC 20,000 or less over three consecutive years | A fixed amount based on income level and business type; GNA reported quarterly payments capped at GH¢45 |
| PTT: Presumptive Tax based on Turnover | Annual sales above GHC 20,000 up to GHC 500,000 | A flat 3% of total annual sales |
| MCB: Modified Cash Basis | Those who do not qualify for PTI or PTT, or who choose it | Tax on profit, after allowable business expenses |
The GRA page gives examples of the people it has in mind: plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, tailors, mechanics, air-conditioning technicians and food vendors, that is, resident individuals earning through skills, crafts or sales without a formal corporate employment contract.
Who is excluded from the flat options
- Professionals with formal qualifications, such as lawyers, engineers and accountants.
- Owners of several businesses or outlets.
- Partners in a registered business partnership.
- Anyone who opts out.
Those people register under the modified cash basis or the standard rules instead. A Nigerian accountant consulting from Accra is therefore outside PTI and PTT, while a Nigerian tailor or make-up artist with a small client base may fit.
Is 3% of turnover a good deal?
It depends on your margin, because 3% is charged on sales, not on profit. This is an example only.
| Hair stylist, low costs | Food vendor, high costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual sales | GHS 120,000 | GHS 120,000 |
| Costs | GHS 30,000 | GHS 100,000 |
| Profit | GHS 90,000 | GHS 20,000 |
| PTT at 3% of sales | GHS 3,600 | GHS 3,600 |
| PTT as a share of profit | 4% | 18% |
For the stylist, GHS 3,600 is a small share of profit. For the vendor with thin margins, the same GHS 3,600 is 18% of profit, so the modified cash basis, which taxes profit after allowable expenses, may come out lower. Running both numbers before you choose is worth an hour. The rules for what counts as an allowable expense are in our guide to deductible expenses in Ghana.
How to register and pay
The GRA page lists what you need and where to go:
- Documents: Ghana Card, GhanaPost GPS address, phone number, basic sales information, and a business registration or permit if you have one.
- Register through the MTS Taxpayer App (App Store or Google Play), at any GRA office or Taxpayer Service Centre, with a GRA field officer, or through your trade association or union.
- Pay by USSD on *880# or in the MTS Taxpayer's App from a mobile money wallet.
- At the end of the year, enter your actual sales in the app as your annual return.
Can a Nigerian in Ghana use it?
The GRA page says the scheme is for resident individuals, and the GNA report says Ghanaian residents whose income comes solely from business activities within Ghana. Nationality is not mentioned as a condition. A Nigerian who is resident in Ghana, earns only from a small business there and holds a Non-Citizen Ghana Card appears to fit the wording. Two cautions: income from Nigerian clients for work done online may not count as income "solely from business activities within Ghana" in the GNA wording, and your right to run the business at all depends on immigration status and investment rules, covered in do I need a registered business to freelance in Ghana. Ask the GRA office to confirm your track before you rely on it.
Where Pryme fits
MTS payments go from a Ghanaian mobile money wallet. If part of your income arrives from Nigeria, a Pryme Business Account can hold the naira, and the Finance agent can prepare a monthly sales summary you can use when you enter actual sales at year end.
Questions people ask
What is the MTS tax rate in Ghana?
For annual sales above GHC 20,000 up to GHC 500,000, a flat 3% of total sales. Below GHC 20,000, a fixed amount; above the flat tracks, tax on profit.
How do I pay Modified Taxation Scheme tax?
The GRA page says by USSD *880# or through the MTS Taxpayer's App from a mobile money wallet.
Can professionals use Ghana's Modified Taxation Scheme?
Not the fixed-amount or 3% options. Professionals with formal qualifications, such as lawyers, engineers and accountants, register under the modified cash basis or the standard rules.
When did the Modified Taxation Scheme start?
GNA reported that it took effect on 1 July 2025.
Sources
- Ghana Revenue Authority: Modified Taxation Scheme (2025 page) · accessed Oct 2026
- Ghana News Agency: Modified Taxation Scheme takes off July 1 (Jul 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Ghana, individual deductions (last reviewed 11 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.