Free invoice generator and tax tools for Sierra Leone

Most small businesses in Sierra Leone deal with one authority for domestic taxes, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) Domestic Tax Department, through its ITAS portal. A company pays income tax at 30% of chargeable income since 1 January 2026, or minimum alternate tax of 2% of turnover if that is higher (Income Tax Act 2000, section 7A; Finance Act 2026, sections 5 and 13). A sole trader or partner is taxed as an individual, and a small business can instead fall under the turnover-based Small and Micro Taxpayer Regime. The NRA also collects capital gains tax, withholding taxes and domestic excise.

If you employ people, three more charges follow. PAYE income tax is withheld from pay and filed monthly. Social security goes to NASSIT, the National Social Security and Insurance Trust. An employer of non-citizens also files a payroll tax return under the Pay-Roll Tax Act 1972 (section 10A, inserted by the Finance Act 2025). Withholding applies to ordinary payments too: from 1 January 2026 the rate on rent is 15% instead of 10%, and the Part II rates on payments to contractors, dividends, interest and management or professional fees are 20% (Finance Act 2026, sections 13 and 14).

Some charges sit outside the NRA. City and local councils issue trading licences and assess property rates, and both need a TIN (Revenue Administration Act 2017, First Schedule). The most recent reform is the Finance Act 2026, published in the Sierra Leone Gazette Extraordinary of 7 January 2026 and in operation from 1 January 2026. Recent Finance Acts have been gazetted each January, so check the NRA's Tax Laws page at the start of every year.

The Small and Micro Taxpayer Regime taxes turnover instead of profit. Part V of the First Schedule to the Income Tax Act 2000, as replaced by section 25 of the Finance Act 2021, applies a rate of 3 percent on turnover (excluding property income) to a person who is not a Part III company and whose turnover is "less than Le350,000,000 but not less than Le10,000,000". Those amounts are written in old leones. Separately, the Finance Act 2025 (section 7) now defines a micro taxpayer as turnover of NLe10,000 and below, and a small taxpayer as above NLe10,000 and up to NLe500,000. Transport providers and alluvial gold, diamond and sand-based exporters, dealers and miners pay the higher of the 3% and their own scheduled rates. For transport these are flat annual amounts by vehicle type: Le1,000,000 for trucks, tankers, large tippers or trailers, Le500,000 for buses, mini-buses, delivery vans or small tippers, and Le200,000 for taxis, mini-taxis or motorbikes. Confirm your class and amount with the NRA before you file.