Taxes in Guyana for Expats 2026: Rates, Allowances and Treaties
Guides · Guyana
—The bands. 25% on chargeable income up to GY$3.36 million a year (about US$16,080), 35% above it, as of September 2026.
—The allowance. GY$140,000 a month (about US$670) or one-third of income, whichever is greater, under the 2026 amendment.
—Residence. More than 183 days in a year, or living in Guyana permanently, makes you resident and taxable on worldwide income.
—Payroll. National insurance takes 5.6% from employees and 8.4% from employers, on pay up to GY$280,000 a month (about US$1,340).
—Treaties. Only Canada, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and CARICOM states have double tax treaties. The United States has none.
—The catch. Old rate tables of 28% and 40% still circulate online. They no longer apply.
Guyana raised its personal allowance again in the 2026 budget, and its two-band income tax is modest by regional standards. The residence test, the national insurance ceiling and the short treaty list matter more to most foreigners than the headline rates.
Taxes in Guyana are simpler than the oil headlines suggest. Individuals face two income tax bands, a generous personal allowance and a flat national insurance charge on wages. What changes the bill for a foreigner is residence, the source of the income and whether a treaty applies.
This guide sets out the rules as of September 2026, after the budget presented in January 2026. Figures in Guyana dollars are converted at 209 to the US dollar. That is the midpoint of the buying and selling quotes of the Bank of Guyana, the central bank, on 21 September 2026.
The 2026 income tax bands and personal allowance
The Income Tax (Amendment) Act No. 3 of 2026 took effect on 1 January 2026. It raised the monthly tax-free amount for employees from GY$130,000 (about US$622) to GY$140,000 (about US$670). The annual equivalent rose from GY$1.56 million (about US$7,460) to GY$1.68 million (about US$8,040).
The allowance is the greater of that fixed sum or one-third of income, according to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the national tax collector. For a salary above roughly GY$420,000 a month (about US$2,010), the one-third rule gives the larger deduction. That feature keeps the effective rate well below the top band for high earners.
Chargeable income, meaning income after the allowance and deductions, is taxed at 25% up to GY$3.36 million a year (about US$16,080). Anything above that is taxed at 35%. The monthly equivalent of the band limit is GY$280,000 (about US$1,340), up from GY$260,000 (about US$1,244) in 2025.
A simple case shows the scale. An employee earning GY$250,000 a month (about US$1,196) deducts the GY$140,000 allowance (about US$670) and national insurance of GY$14,000 (about US$67). The remaining GY$96,000 (about US$459) is taxed at 25%, a monthly bill of GY$24,000 (about US$115).
Because one-third of income is always free of tax, the income tax charge stays under about 23% of total earnings even at very high salaries. PwC, the professional services firm, reports the same bands and allowance in its summary last reviewed on 2 June 2026. Older tables with 28% and 40% bands and a GY$780,000 allowance (about US$3,730) are out of date.
Deductions that lower the bill
The 2026 notice from the GRA lists several deductions on top of the allowance. Employee national insurance contributions are deductible up to GY$15,680 a month (about US$75). Medical and life insurance premiums count up to 10% of gross salary or GY$50,000 a month (about US$240), whichever is less.
Parents may deduct GY$10,000 a month (about US$48) for each child under 18, or GY$120,000 a year (about US$574) if self-employed. The first GY$50,000 a month (about US$240) of overtime pay is exempt. The same sum of income from a second job is also exempt.
Employers withhold tax monthly through Pay As You Earn (PAYE), the payroll deduction system, and remit it by the 14th of the following month. Anyone with income of at least GY$1.68 million a year (about US$8,040) must file a return. The deadline is 30 April of the following year.
Residence and what Guyana taxes
You are tax resident if you live in Guyana for more than 183 days in a year, live there permanently, or arrive intending to do so. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, whether or not the money is brought into the country. The GRA describes taxable income as earnings derived from Guyana or elsewhere, received in Guyana or not.
Non-residents pay only on income from Guyanese sources, such as a local salary or rent from a Georgetown flat. PwC notes that a temporary resident is not taxed on income arising abroad. Anyone relying on that treatment for pensions or investment income should confirm their status with an adviser before the first return.
Residence, more than any rate, decides how heavy taxes in Guyana become for a newcomer. A record of days spent in the country, kept from arrival, is the simplest protection.
Some income is taxed at source. Banks deduct a 20% final withholding tax on interest, and dividends paid by resident companies to resident individuals are not taxed. Capital gains on assets held for more than a year face a separate 20% tax, while gains within 12 months count as ordinary income.
National insurance for employees and the self-employed
The National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Guyana’s social security fund, takes 14% of wages. The employee pays 5.6% and the employer 8.4%, on earnings up to a ceiling of GY$280,000 a month (about US$1,340). Pay above the ceiling attracts no further contributions.
Self-employed people contribute 12.5% of declared income, according to the scheme. Foreign employees on a local payroll are normally registered like any other worker. Whether contributions ever produce a pension depends on how many years a person pays in, so short-term assignees should treat NIS mainly as a payroll cost.
VAT, property and other taxes in Guyana
Value-added tax (VAT) is charged at 14% on most goods and services, with a zero rate for exports and some essentials. Businesses must register once taxable supplies reach GY$15 million a year (about US$71,800). Changes from 16 February 2026 zero-rated locally made furniture and jewellery, and some security equipment.
The same package exempted new cars under 1,500 cc and hybrids under 2,000 cc from VAT. For individuals, the annual net property tax has been removed, announced in the 2026 budget and applied from the 2025 year of income, according to PwC. The exemption is written for individuals, so property held through a company should be checked separately.
Guyana has no inheritance, gift or net wealth tax, according to PwC. Estate duty was repealed in 1991, the GRA states, but a process fee of 0.5% of the gross value applies to estates above GY$100,000 (about US$480).
Corporate tax and the oil sector
Companies pay 25% on profits in most sectors. Commercial companies, broadly traders and firms in banking and insurance, pay 40%, with a minimum tax of 2% of turnover. Telephone companies pay 45%, and from 2026 income from agriculture, agro-processing, childcare and elderly care is exempt.
Payments to non-resident companies for contract work in Guyana suffer a 10% withholding tax on the gross amount, under GRA policy updated in February 2026. The payer must remit it within 30 days. Dividends, interest and royalties sent abroad face 20% unless a treaty lowers the rate.
The 2016 Stabroek Block production sharing agreement, which covers Guyana’s current offshore output, has the state pay the contractor’s income and corporation tax out of its own share. Terms announced in 2022 for new offshore licences set a 10% royalty, a 10% corporation tax and a cost recovery cap of 65%. None of this changes what employees owe.
Expatriate staff of oil operators, their affiliates and subcontractors pay income tax on income earned in Guyana. That is the reading of Legal 500, a directory of law firms, in its oil and gas guide. Rotational workers who stay fewer than 183 days may still owe tax on local pay, depending on treaty position and payroll setup.
Oil-sector employers often pay part of a package offshore, in a home-country currency. That does not move the work outside Guyana, and the salary for days worked in the country is still Guyanese-source income. The estimated value of employer-provided housing is taxable, according to PwC, so a gross-up clause in the contract is worth reading closely.
Double tax treaties and foreign tax credits
Guyana has double tax treaties with Canada, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and the member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Under the UK treaty, withholding on dividends drops to 10%. Under the CARICOM agreement, dividends paid to residents of member states carry no withholding.
There is no treaty with the United States, only a tax information exchange agreement. The US ambassador in Georgetown, Nicole Theriot, said in March 2026 that the embassy was pressing Washington for one. Americans must still file US returns and rely on US foreign tax credit rules.
Guyanese law gives a credit for foreign tax paid on employment income and business profits. The total credit cannot exceed the Guyanese tax payable for the year. Foreign tax is not deductible as an expense when total income is calculated.
For many foreigners, the treaty list shapes their taxes in Guyana more than the bands do. A treaty can also decide which country has the first right to tax a pension.
What this means for your money and plans
For a salaried foreigner, the realistic total of taxes in Guyana is income tax plus 5.6% national insurance on pay up to the ceiling. Modest salaries pay little because of the allowance, and high salaries rarely pay more than a quarter of gross pay. A written employment contract that states who bears tax and NIS avoids most disputes.
Retirees and remote workers face a different question, because residence brings foreign pensions and investment income into scope. Check your home country’s treaty status before passing 183 days. Keep travel records, since the day count decides much of the outcome.
Rental income is taxed at the ordinary rates, with no special regime, according to PwC. For a resident, rent from a property abroad is foreign income and belongs on the Guyanese return. Anyone carrying on a business must keep records for at least eight years, according to PwC.
Business owners should budget for the 40% commercial rate and the 2% turnover minimum before choosing a structure. A local accountant registered with the GRA can obtain a taxpayer identification number, known as a TIN. Tax figures are reset in most annual budgets, so confirm each January which thresholds apply.
More: Latin America coverage from The Rio Times.
Sources: Guyana Revenue Authority notice on 2026 allowances and deductions, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Guyana individual developments, PwC, Guyana taxes on personal income, PwC, Guyana individual residence, Department of Public Information on the 2026 threshold, National Insurance Scheme contribution rates, Guyana Revenue Authority VAT rate, Guyana Revenue Authority VAT registration, PwC, Guyana corporate income tax, Guyana Revenue Authority policy on non-resident contractors, PwC, Guyana foreign tax relief and treaties, Kaieteur News on the absence of a US treaty, Legal 500 Guyana oil and gas guide, Petroleum Management Programme on new fiscal terms, Guyana Revenue Authority on estate duty and the process fee, Bank of Guyana exchange rates
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