MW · AfricaSL · Africa
Malawi vs Sierra Leone: tax rates compared
Between the two, Malawi's income tax rate (40%) tops Sierra Leone's (30%) by 10pp. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. Malawi's figure is dated 2025-12-30 and Sierra Leone's 2021-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Verified data covers five of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | MW | SL | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 40% | 30% | MW +10 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 25% | MW +5 pp |
| VAT | 17.5% | 15% | MW +2.5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 40% | 25% | MW +15 pplargest gap |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 40% | Source: Taxation (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2025 (Malawi Revenue Authority) · as of 2025-12-30 |
| Sierra Leone | 30% | Source: Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority — 2022 NRA Tax Guide · as of 2021-01-01 |
| Difference | +10 pp | Malawi higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 30% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Sierra Leone | 25% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +5 pp | Malawi higher |
Between the two, Malawi's corporate tax rate (30%) tops Sierra Leone's (25%) by 5pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 17.5% | Source: EY Worldwide VAT, GST and Sales Tax Guide 2026 — Malawi · as of 2026-01-01 |
| Sierra Leone | 15% | Source: National Revenue Authority (Sierra Leone) — A Guide to the GST Legislation · as of 2009-03-01 |
| Difference | +2.5 pp | Malawi higher |
Between the two, Malawi's VAT rate (17.5%) tops Sierra Leone's (15%) by 2.5pp. The 181-country average is 15%: Malawi sits above it, Sierra Leone matches the world average. Malawi's figure is dated 2026-01-01 and Sierra Leone's 2009-03-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 40% | Source: EY Worldwide Personal Tax and Immigration Guide 2025-26 — Malawi · as of 2025-10-01 |
| Sierra Leone | 25% | Source: National Revenue Authority, Sierra Leone — Finance Act 2021 (Section 13, amending Income Tax Act 2000 Section 57(1)) · as of 2021-01-01 |
| Difference | +15 pp | Malawi higher |
Between the two, Malawi's capital gains tax rate (40%) tops Sierra Leone's (25%) by 15pp. The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit above it. Malawi's figure is dated 2025-10-01 and Sierra Leone's 2021-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 0% | Source: Malawi Legal Information Institute — Taxation Act (Chapter 41:01) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| Sierra Leone | 0% | Source: Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority — Tax Laws & Regulations (official index) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
There's no gap here — Malawi and Sierra Leone both post a wealth tax rate of 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.