ST · AfricaLK · Asia
São Tomé and Príncipe vs Sri Lanka: tax rates compared
Sri Lanka's income tax rate is 11pp higher than São Tomé and Príncipe's (36% vs 25%). The 200-country average is 28%: São Tomé and Príncipe sits below it, Sri Lanka sits above it. São Tomé and Príncipe's figure is dated 2009-10-08 and Sri Lanka's 2025-08-28, 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 | ST | LK | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 25% | 36% | LK +11 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 25% | 30% | LK +5 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 18% | LK +3 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 15% | 0% | ST +15 pplargest gap |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 36% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Tax Chart, Year of Assessment 2025/2026 · as of 2025-08-28 |
| Difference | −11 pp | Sri Lanka higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 25% | 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 | −5 pp | Sri Lanka higher |
Sri Lanka's corporate tax rate is 5pp higher than São Tomé and Príncipe's (30% vs 25%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 18% | Source: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department — Value Added Tax (VAT) · as of 2024-01-01 |
| Difference | −3 pp | Sri Lanka higher |
Sri Lanka's VAT rate is 3pp higher than São Tomé and Príncipe's (18% vs 15%). The 181-country average is 15%: São Tomé and Príncipe matches the world average, Sri Lanka sits above it. São Tomé and Príncipe's figure is dated 2023-06-01 and Sri Lanka's 2024-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sri Lanka | 0% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Capital Gain Tax (CGT) · as of 2025-11-19 |
| Difference | +15 pp | São Tomé and Príncipe higher |
São Tomé and Príncipe's capital gains tax rate is 15pp higher than Sri Lanka's (15% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: São Tomé and Príncipe sits above it, Sri Lanka sits below it. São Tomé and Príncipe's figure is dated 2009-10-08 and Sri Lanka's 2025-11-19, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax, Wealth Tax.