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Nicaragua vs South Africa: tax rates compared
South Africa's income tax rate is 15pp higher than Nicaragua's (45% vs 30%). 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 | NI | ZA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 30% | 45% | ZA +15 pplargest gap |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 27% | NI +3 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 15% | match |
| Capital Gains Tax | 15% | 18% | ZA +3 pp |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 30% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Nicaragua (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-01-12 |
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| Difference | −15 pp | South Africa higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 30% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +3 pp | Nicaragua higher |
Nicaragua's corporate tax rate is 3pp higher than South Africa's (30% vs 27%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Nicaragua (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-01-12 |
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Nicaragua's VAT rate is identical to South Africa's — both sit at 15%. The 181-country average is 15%: Nicaragua matches the world average, South Africa matches the world average.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 15% | Source: EY Worldwide Personal Tax and Immigration Guide 2025-26 — Nicaragua · as of 2025-10-01 |
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | −3 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's capital gains tax rate is 3pp higher than Nicaragua's (18% vs 15%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit above it. Nicaragua's figure is dated 2025-10-01 and South Africa's 2026-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Nicaragua (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-01-12 |
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Nicaragua's wealth tax rate is identical to South Africa's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.