GRA Clarifies Rule on Mobile Phones and Customs Duty
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GRA Clarifies: More Than 2 Phones Doesn’t Automatically Mean Customs Duty
If you’ve been worried about getting hit with customs duty just for travelling with a few extra phones, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) wants to set the record straight. According to the Authority, there’s no automatic rule that says carrying more than two mobile phones means you’ll owe duty it all comes down to the specifics of each case.
This clarification follows a wave of public reaction to comments made by Aaron Kanor, Commissioner of the GRA’s Customs Division, during a press briefing on September 2.
Kanor had told journalists that travellers bringing more than two phones into the country should expect to pay duties and taxes on the extras. His phrasing struck a nerve: you can have a maximum of two; one for you and one for your wife. Anything beyond that, he added, would be treated as commercial quantity and taxed accordingly.
Unsurprisingly, that comment didn’t sit well with the public, and criticism followed quickly.
In a press release dated September 3, GRA acknowledged the backlash and moved to clear up how Customs actually handles passenger baggage and personal effects.
It is not an automatic rule that a traveler carrying more than two mobile phones will be required to pay Customs duty, the Authority said.
According to GRA, the real question Customs officers ask isn’t “how many phones,” but rather whether the items are genuinely for personal use, or whether they’re being brought in for someone else, for resale, distribution, or other commercial purposes.
Each case gets assessed on its own circumstances. Officers look at a range of factors the nature and quantity of the items, whether they’re already being used, whether they’re new and still in commercial packaging, how many similar items are involved, and whether anything suggests an intention to sell or distribute them.
GRA explained that Kanor’s earlier reference to phone numbers was never meant to be a hard rule. It was simply an illustration of the kind of situation that might prompt Customs officers to ask more questions.
The number of phones carried does not, on its own, determine whether duty is payable, the statement clarified.
In practical terms, this means a traveller carrying more than one phone for legitimate reasons a separate work device, a backup handset, or a replacement shouldn’t automatically be treated as importing goods commercially.
That said, GRA noted that context still matters. If a passenger is carrying several new or identically packaged devices, especially ones clearly meant for other people, Customs may need to dig a little deeper to determine whether those items genuinely qualify as personal effects or should be classified as commercial imports instead.
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