You don’t need to hire a lawyer on day one. You do need to handle five basics so a customer dispute or a tax audit doesn’t end your business. This article covers the Ghana baseline; Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal have similar rules with local variations.
1. Receipts — give one for every sale
A receipt is the proof of transaction that protects you in a dispute and makes you eligible for tax deductions. Adwuma generates these automatically on every order. Keep MoMo SMS confirmations as the backup.
2. Refund policy — write it down and stick to it
Adwuma platform terms grant buyers a 7-day dispute window. Your own listing-level refund policy can be more generous (a 14-day no-questions return is a strong trust signal) but never less. Put the policy in your storefront bio so buyers see it before they purchase.
Pro tip
Refunds are not enemies — they’re marketing. A confidently advertised generous return policy converts more first-time buyers than any discount.
3. Data protection (Ghana DPA, GDPR if exporting)
If you collect customer phone numbers, addresses, or anything else identifying — which every seller does — you’re a data controller under Ghana’s Data Protection Act. Three minimum obligations:
- Don’t share customer details with anyone outside your business.
- Delete personal data when a customer asks (Adwuma handles this for you).
- Don’t add buyers to a broadcast list without their explicit consent.
4. Tax — start tracking from day one
You don’t need to file taxes monthly until you hit the VAT threshold (GH₵ 200,000 annual turnover in 2026). But you DO need to track income from day one so you can file accurately when you cross that line. Adwuma’s bookkeeping does this automatically — turn it on now even if you’re tiny.
5. Contracts — only the ones you actually need
Most e-commerce sellers need exactly four contracts in their first year:
- A supplier MOU (one page) — what you order, when, payment terms.
- A logistics agreement (one page) — courier rates, delivery SLAs, liability.
- A wholesale rate sheet (one page) — for B2B buyers asking for bulk pricing.
- A staff offer letter (one page) — when you hire your first helper.
Templates for all four are on the Adwuma help center under "Templates". Print, fill in the blanks, sign.