I Will Not Tax Church Earnings - John Mahama

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Former President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his stance against the imposition of taxes on churches, vowing that should he be elected president again, he would not advocate for such levies. 

Speaking at a campaign rally held at Eastern Premier Hotel, Mahama emphasized that his position was deeply rooted in his Christian faith and an appreciation of the significant impact that such taxation would have, even affecting his own place of worship, Assemblies of God.

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Mahama clarified his stance, stating, "Taxing churches, I am a Christian, so I cannot tax churches because if I am supposed to do that, I will tax my own church, Assemblies, and I won't tax churches." 

He emphasized that while the law allows for taxation of commercial activities conducted by churches, internal activities such as offerings and other non-commercial transactions would not be subjected to taxation, reflecting a balance between legal expectations and religious sensibilities.


He underscored his position by articulating, "The law says that if the church engages in commercial activities, you have to pay tax on the commercial activities. But for someone to give an offering or the internal activities within the church cannot be taxed. For that, as a person of faith, I can tell you I will not tax church proceeds."

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Mahama's declaration reinforces his longstanding commitment to this matter, occurring amidst ongoing debates about the potential taxation of religious institutions. 

The former president, having previously served from 2012 to 2016 and having run for office in 2020, has been reelected as the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), positioning himself to lead the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections. He has expressed confidence in his ability to secure victory and implement necessary changes in the country, marking a pivotal juncture in his political journey.


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