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Malawi vs Sri Lanka: tax rates compared
Malawi's income tax rate is 4pp higher than Sri Lanka's (40% vs 36%). The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.
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 | LK | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 40% | 36% | MW +4 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 30% | match |
| VAT | 17.5% | 18% | LK +0.5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 40% | 0% | MW +40 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 36% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Tax Chart, Year of Assessment 2025/2026 · as of 2025-08-28 |
| Difference | +4 pp | Malawi higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 30% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Sri Lanka | 30% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Malawi's corporate tax rate is identical to Sri Lanka's — both sit at 30%. 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 18% | Source: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department — Value Added Tax (VAT) · as of 2024-01-01 |
| Difference | −0.5 pp | Sri Lanka higher |
Sri Lanka's VAT rate is 0.5pp higher than Malawi's (18% vs 17.5%). The 181-country average is 15%: both sit above it. Malawi's figure is dated 2026-01-01 and Sri Lanka's 2024-01-01, 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 0% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Capital Gain Tax (CGT) · as of 2025-11-19 |
| Difference | +40 pp | Malawi higher |
Malawi's capital gains tax rate is 40pp higher than Sri Lanka's (40% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: Malawi sits above it, Sri Lanka sits below it.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 0% | Source: Malawi Legal Information Institute — Taxation Act (Chapter 41:01) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| Sri Lanka | 0% | Source: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department — Acts of Parliament (tax legislation listing) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Malawi's wealth tax rate is identical to Sri Lanka's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.