PA · AmericasST · Africa
Panama vs São Tomé and Príncipe: tax rates compared
There's no gap here — Panama and São Tomé and Príncipe both post an income tax rate of 25%. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit below it. Panama's figure is dated 2026-01-18 and São Tomé and Príncipe's 2009-10-08, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Verified data covers four of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | PA | ST | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 25% | 25% | match |
| Corporate Tax | 25% | 25% | match |
| VAT | 7% | 15% | ST +8 pplargest gap |
| Capital Gains Tax | 10% | 15% | ST +5 pp |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panama | 25% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Panama (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-01-18 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 25% | Source: Diário da República (official gazette), São Tomé e Príncipe — Lei n.º 11/2009, Código do Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares (IRS), Art. 66 · as of 2009-10-08 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panama | 25% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 25% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
There's no gap here — Panama and São Tomé and Príncipe both post a corporate tax rate of 25%. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panama | 7% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Panama (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-01-18 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 15% | Source: Ministério do Planeamento, Finanças e Economia Azul (São Tomé e Príncipe) — Manual do IVA 2023 · as of 2023-06-01 |
| Difference | −8 pp | São Tomé and Príncipe higher |
Between the two, São Tomé and Príncipe's VAT rate (15%) tops Panama's (7%) by 8pp. The 181-country average is 15%: Panama sits below it, São Tomé and Príncipe matches the world average. Panama's figure is dated 2026-01-18 and São Tomé and Príncipe's 2023-06-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panama | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Panama (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-01-18 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 15% | Source: Diário da República (official gazette), São Tomé e Príncipe — Lei n.º 11/2009, Código do Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares (IRS), Articles 27, 69 and 70 · as of 2009-10-08 |
| Difference | −5 pp | São Tomé and Príncipe higher |
Between the two, São Tomé and Príncipe's capital gains tax rate (15%) tops Panama's (10%) by 5pp. The 175-country average is 10.3%: Panama sits below it, São Tomé and Príncipe sits above it. Panama's figure is dated 2026-01-18 and São Tomé and Príncipe's 2009-10-08, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax, Wealth Tax.