Africa

Sierra Leone

Corporate rate
30%
Top personal rate
30%
VAT / GST rate
15%
One-sentence summary Sierra Leone's corporate tax position: 30% standard rate (raised from 25% around 2025/2026). Personal income tax: Top marginal rate 30% (raised from 15% around 2025/2026). VAT/consumption tax: 15% standard GST.

Corporate Tax Rate

30% standard rate (raised from 25% around 2025/2026).

Personal Tax Rate

Top marginal rate 30% (raised from 15% around 2025/2026).

VAT / GST Rate

15% standard GST.

Residency

Confirmed directly via the Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority (NRA), the official tax administration: an individual is resident under the more-than-182-day test (satisfied by a single period of presence, or by aggregating two or more periods within a 12-month window; partial-day presence counts as a full day). Officials of the Sierra Leone government posted overseas remain resident individuals. Diplomats and their dependents are treated as non-resident for tax purposes, meaning their non-Sierra Leone income is excluded from Sierra Leone taxation, though Sierra Leone-source investment income they derive remains taxable. A company is resident under Section 12 of the governing statute if it satisfies any of three alternative tests: place of incorporation, place of management and control, or place of majority of operations; a branch of a non-resident company is deemed a separate resident-company person.

CFC (Controlled Foreign Company) Rules: Not identified

No Controlled Foreign Company regime was identified in available sources this session. This is a genuine gap rather than a confirmed absence.

Thin Capitalization

No statutory thin capitalization ratio was identified in available sources this session.

Foreign Bank Account / Foreign Financial Asset Reporting

No domestic FBAR/Form 8938-equivalent requiring Sierra Leone residents to self-report their own foreign accounts was identified. Institutional-level CRS/FATCA participation status was not independently confirmed this session. Separately and independently of local law, US citizens and Green Card holders with Sierra Leone accounts remain obligated to file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) once aggregate foreign accounts exceed USD 10,000, and potentially Form 8938, regardless of local requirements.

Treaty Network

Sierra Leone has a Double Taxation Arrangement with the United Kingdom, originally signed December 19, 1947 and given force in UK law via the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Sierra Leone) Order 1968, confirmed as still current via the UK government's official tax treaties listing. Sierra Leone is in the process of developing a model tax treaty consistent with the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) framework, confirmed via Sierra Leone's own Medium Term Revenue Strategy document (Ministry of Finance) - indicating an actively developing rather than static treaty policy. A comprehensive list of other bilateral partners was not compiled this session.

Sources: Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority - Non-Residents Coming to Sierra Leone (official, Section 12 residency detail), Sierra Leone Ministry of Finance - Medium Term Revenue Strategy 2023-2027 (ATAF treaty framework), UK Government - Tax Treaties (Sierra Leone listing), UK Government - UK/Sierra Leone Double Taxation Arrangement (primary treaty text). Page last verified: August 08, 2026. General information only - confirm current rates with a licensed advisor in this jurisdiction before relying on this page.