Questions, answered plainly.

No. GHBusinessDesk is a private company. We prepare and submit applications on your behalf and track them. Registration decisions are made by the relevant authority, such as the Office of the Registrar of Companies.

Documents are encrypted in transit and at rest. Every access to your file is logged, and staff see only the files they are assigned. Partner professionals see only what their part of your case needs.

We are registering with Ghana’s Data Protection Commission as a data controller before we process customer data.

Yes, if you opt in. WhatsApp and SMS carry notifications and links only, never documents; the documents stay in your secure vault. Quiet hours follow your time zone. For compliance reminders, WhatsApp and SMS are part of the Business plan (GHS 150 a month, billed annually) and above.

Lawyers, chartered accountants, company secretaries and commissioners for oaths. Before they work on a GHBusinessDesk file, we verify their licence with the relevant body, check their identity and see evidence of professional indemnity insurance, and we re-verify them every year.

Their fee is always shown on its own line, and it is paid to them after their work is signed off.

We guarantee our own steps: first review within 1 working day of payment, and submission within 1 working day of a complete file. The authority’s processing time is outside our control, so we never promise it. You see every status change as it happens.

Most business name and company registrations do not. Where the law requires a licensed professional, such as a qualified company secretary or a commissioner for oaths, we arrange a vetted partner and show their fee separately.

Every owner, partner or officer needs identity: a Ghana Card, or a passport plus a Non-Citizen Card for non-citizens. You also give contact details, date of birth, nationality and a residential address, plus your business address with its GhanaPostGPS digital address.

Companies also need details for each director, the secretary and every shareholder, documents for any corporate shareholder, and signed consents and declarations. Our guided questions build a personal checklist, so you only see what applies to you.

Under current Ghana Revenue Authority practice, your Ghana Card PIN serves as your individual TIN, and an organisation TIN is generated when the business is registered. We confirm this against current GRA guidance for your case, and your post-registration checklist covers it.

A GhanaPostGPS digital address identifies a location precisely. The Registrar asks for your principal place of business, and a company’s registered office must be a physical address in Ghana. We check the format before anything is submitted.

Founders abroad and foreign founders can choose a registered-office service in Ghana from a partner.

Yes. A company limited by shares needs a secretary with the qualifications the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) requires, and at least two directors, one of them ordinarily resident in Ghana. If you do not have a qualified secretary, we can arrange a vetted partner secretarial firm and show their fee on its own line.

A beneficial owner is a natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company, directly or through others. Companies declare them at incorporation and in every annual return, and update the record when ownership or control changes. Our guided questions apply the current ORC thresholds for you.

Government fees go to the authority at cost, for example GHS 130 registration and GHS 30 name search for a business name. Our service fee is what we charge for the work. Any professional fee goes to a partner firm. Each appears on its own line before you pay.

Before our review starts: a full refund. During review, before submission: 50% of the service fee plus all government fees not yet paid. After submission, the service fee is not refundable.

If the authority rejects an application because of our error, we rework it free or refund the service fee in full and cover any repeat government fee. If the rejection is caused by information you provided, we rework it at a reduced service fee.

Government fees already paid to an authority are refunded only if the authority refunds them.

Companies limited by shares pay stamp duty of 1% of their stated capital. For stated capital of GHS 10,000, that is GHS 100. It is a government fee, calculated from the figure you enter and shown on its own line before you pay.

Business names and partnerships do not pay stamp duty on registration.

Paystack checkout shows the card and mobile money options available for your payment. Payments are charged in Ghana cedis.

Fees for founders abroad may be priced in US dollars. They are converted to cedis at the published exchange rate, shown with its source at checkout and fixed on your receipt (approximately GHS 11.00 = US$1). An international card's bank may apply its own conversion rate and fees.

Yes. Diaspora founders verify their identity remotely, sign in front of a partner witness, and pay in US dollars. Foreign founders also register with the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA); a partner lawyer confirms what applies before you pay.

Your documents go into your vault and your compliance calendar starts, with reminders for annual returns, beneficial ownership updates and permit renewals. The Basic plan is free.

Business names and partnerships renew every year. For a business name, the Registrar’s renewal fee is GHS 70. Companies do not renew; they file an annual return instead.

Your compliance calendar tracks every renewal date from the day you register, including Business Operating Permits and, for foreign participation, GIPA registration.

Every company files an annual return with the Registrar at least once a year under section 126 of the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), confirming its particulars, members and beneficial owners. We prepare and file it for GHS 450 plus the Registrar’s fee of GHS 175, or it is included in the Business plan.

Your exact deadline depends on your own dates, so we compute it from your records and confirm it against current ORC guidance.

The Registrar sets penalties for late filing. Under the current schedule: annual return not filed, 1 to 4 years: GHS 1,000; annual return not filed, 5 years or more: GHS 2,000; beneficial ownership not filed: GHS 500. GHBusinessDesk does not set or collect penalties.

If you are behind, a free compliance health check shows what is missing, and we quote one catch-up bundle with every penalty itemised.

A company is a separate legal entity, so moving from a business name or partnership to a company means registering a new company. Ask a specialist first, so the timing and your existing registration are handled properly.

Within a company, you can change directors and the secretary through us today. Share transfers, registered-office moves and changes to the name, objects or constitution are coming soon. The Professional plan (GHS 400 a month, billed annually) includes two change requests a year.

Yes. Start with a free compliance health check using your company or business number. With your permission, we read your record, show what is missing and what it costs to fix, then keep your calendar from there.

Your formation lead responds to queries for you and tells you if anything is needed. If a rejection is caused by our error, we rework it free or refund the full service fee, and cover any repeat government fee.