ZA · AfricaLK · Asia
South Africa vs Sri Lanka: tax rates compared
South Africa has an income tax rate of 45%, 9pp above Sri Lanka's 36%. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-03-01 and Sri Lanka's 2025-08-28, 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 | ZA | LK | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 36% | ZA +9 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 27% | 30% | LK +3 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 18% | LK +3 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 18% | 0% | ZA +18 pplargest gap |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| Sri Lanka | 36% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Tax Chart, Year of Assessment 2025/2026 · as of 2025-08-28 |
| Difference | +9 pp | South Africa higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 27% | 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 | −3 pp | Sri Lanka higher |
Sri Lanka has a corporate tax rate of 30%, 3pp above South Africa's 27%. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| 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 has a VAT rate of 18%, 3pp above South Africa's 15%. The 181-country average is 15%: South Africa matches the world average, Sri Lanka sits above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and Sri Lanka's 2024-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Sri Lanka | 0% | Source: Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka — Capital Gain Tax (CGT) · as of 2025-11-19 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a capital gains tax rate of 18%, 18pp above Sri Lanka's 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: South Africa sits above it, Sri Lanka sits below it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and Sri Lanka's 2025-11-19, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| 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 |
South Africa and Sri Lanka share the same wealth tax rate: 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.