Banks To Charge 20% VAT On Netflix, Spotify, ChatGPT And Other Foreign Digital Services From October 15
Commercial banks in Ghana will from Wednesday, October 15, 2026, begin collecting a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) on qualifying cross-border digital services paid for with Ghana-issued cards.
This is contained in a notice by Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC to its clients, in line with requirements of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to the notice dated 13th October 2026 and signed by Yvonne Gyebi, Head, Wealth and Retail Banking, when clients pay for any of the qualifying services using StanChart debit cards, a VAT of 20% will be included in the total amount payable.
The Bank stressed that VAT is a statutory tax applicable to the qualifying transactions and is not a fee or charge imposed by the Bank.
What Is Affected
The digital services in scope include but are not limited to:
– Digital Media Entertainment:Netflix, Spotify, Disney, Showmax, beIN Sports
– Software & SaaS: Microsoft, Adobe, Zoom, Salesforce, Google Workspace
– Cloud & Hosting: AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Siteground
– Gaming: Steam, Blizzard, Roblox, DraftKings, Betway Ghana
– Education & Subscriptions: Coursera, Udemy, MasterClass, Cambridge Press
– Digital Advertising:Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, LinkedIn
– Social Media & Communication: TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, WhatsApp Business
– Travel & Hospitality (Online): http://Booking.com, Agoda, http://Hotels.com, Uber, Bolt
– Computer & IT Services: Groundhog Tech, Neris Analytics, IT SaaS
– Security & VPN: McAfee, NordVPN, ExpressVPN
The GRA has clarified that the October 15 rollout does not introduce a new tax. It is a change in collection mechanism under the Real-Time VAT (RTVAT) system.
The tax has applied to non-resident digital service providers since 2022. What has changed is that banks, mobile money operators and payment service providers will now withhold the tax at source through the Sentinel System and remit directly to GRA.
The effective 20% comprises 15% VAT, 2.5% National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) and 2.5% GETFund Levy under the Value Added Tax Act, 2025 (Act 1151).
GRA Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong on Wednesday said the tax applies not only to bank cards but also to MoMo and other digital wallets where the transaction is routed through Ghana’s payment system.
He added that 92 foreign providers already charge and remit the VAT, so their prices will not change, while about 100 more non-compliant providers will be brought into the net.
Standard Chartered said customers with enquiries should email Gh.Standardchartered@sc.com or contact their branch or relationship manager.
