Guyana has one of the most unusual personal allowances anywhere. You get a fixed tax-free amount or one-third of your income, whichever is bigger, so the more you earn, the more you get tax free. On a US$100k salary, a third of it isn't taxed at all.
This guide covers Guyanese personal tax for people moving to or living in Guyana in the 2026 tax year (the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December 2026): the one-third allowance, the 25% and 35% rates, how residence and domicile work, freelancing, capital gains, crypto, NIS contributions and the visa routes.
The key question is simple. Are you domiciled in Guyana? If you're resident but not domiciled, foreign income and gains are only taxed when you bring them into the country.
What's changed: Budget 2026, presented on 26 January 2026, raised the fixed personal allowance from GYD 1,560,000 to GYD 1,680,000 a year (GYD 140,000 a month) and widened the 25% band from GYD 3,120,000 to GYD 3,360,000 of taxable income, from 1 January 2026 under the Income Tax (Amendment) Act No. 3 of 2026. The 25% and 35% rates came in on 1 January 2025, replacing 28% and 40%. Individuals have also stopped paying property tax, Guyana's tax on net wealth: from 1 January 2025, the Property Tax Act no longer charges individuals, so no return is due from the 2026 year of assessment (covering 2025) onwards.
📋 Guyana tax at a glance for 2026
Topic | Details |
|---|---|
Tax system | Worldwide income for residents. Foreign income of a resident who isn't ordinarily resident or domiciled in Guyana is taxed only when received in Guyana |
Income tax rates | 25% on the first GYD 3,360,000 of taxable income, 35% above that |
Personal allowance | GYD 1,680,000 or one-third of your income, whichever is greater |
All-in on a US$100k salary | About 22.3% (GYD 21 million, including 5.6% NIS) |
Capital gains | 20% on gains held more than 12 months. Gains within 12 months are taxed as income |
Wealth tax | None for individuals since 1 January 2025 (property tax now applies to companies only) |
Residence at a glance | Getting in: more than 183 days in the year, or living in Guyana with the intention of staying permanently. Leaving: usually straightforward once you move away and stay under 183 days |
Double tax treaties | Only a few. GRA names conventions with the UK and Canada and the CARICOM agreement |
The one-third personal allowance
Most countries give you a fixed tax-free amount. Guyana's grows with your income.
Image 1 — a third of your income is tax free once you earn enough
Under section 20 of the Income Tax Act, you deduct the greater of:
a fixed GYD 1,680,000 a year (GYD 140,000 a month), or
one-third of your total income from all sources, leaving out income that has already had tax withheld under section 39(1).
The two limbs meet at an income of GYD 5,040,000 (about US$24,000). Above that, a third of everything you earn is tax free. GRA's own examples work out the third on your gross income and then deduct NIS as well.
That has a big effect at the top. The highest rate is 35%, but because a third of each extra dollar is tax free, you only pay about 23.3% on each extra dollar you earn. On a US$100k salary, income tax comes to about 21.4%.
Employees also get other deductions on top: GYD 10,000 a month for each child under 18, up to GYD 50,000 a month of overtime and up to GYD 50,000 a month from a second job, and life and medical insurance premiums up to 10% of pay or GYD 50,000 a month, whichever is lower. Employers don't deduct any tax under PAYE if your gross pay is GYD 140,000 a month or less.
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: revised personal allowance and deductions for 2026
👉 Department of Public Information: Budget 2026 raises the income tax threshold to GYD 140,000
When you become tax resident in Guyana, and how you stop
The tax year is the calendar year. Section 2 of the Income Tax Act makes you resident for a year if either of these applies:
Day count: you live in Guyana for more than 183 days in the year.
Permanent home: you live in Guyana permanently, or you're in Guyana and intend to live there permanently, apart from temporary absences the Commissioner-General accepts as reasonable.
So if you've moved for good, you can be resident from the year you arrive.
Being resident isn't the whole story. Section 5 taxes income "accruing in or derived from Guyana or elsewhere". But for income arising outside Guyana, tax is only charged on the amount received in Guyana if:
you're not ordinarily resident in Guyana, or not domiciled there, or
the foreign income is earned income.
Most people moving to Guyana keep their domicile of origin, so in practice foreign pensions, dividends, interest and rent are taxed only if you bring the money in. Pay for work you do while you're physically in Guyana is a different matter: section 6 treats income from employment exercised in Guyana as coming from Guyana, even if a foreign employer pays it. GRA hasn't published guidance on remote work.
To stop being resident, move your home abroad and keep your time in Guyana to 183 days or fewer in a year. After that you're taxed only on income from Guyana. We didn't find an exit tax in Guyana's tax laws.
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: Income Tax Act, revised to 1 April 2026 (sections 2, 5, 16 and 20)
Income tax rates for 2026
After the personal allowance and other deductions, your taxable ("chargeable") income goes on a two-rate scale.
Guyana income tax rates for 2026
Taxable income | Monthly equivalent | Rate |
|---|---|---|
Up to GYD 3,360,000 | Up to GYD 280,000 | 25% |
Over GYD 3,360,000 | Over GYD 280,000 | 35% |
Source: Income Tax Act sections 36 and 36A, as amended from 1 January 2026. Taxable income is after the personal allowance (GYD 1,680,000 or one-third of income).
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: 2025 notice cutting the rates to 25% and 35%
Worked example
You're resident in Guyana and earn a salary of GYD 21 million (about US$100k) in 2026.
Your personal allowance is one-third of GYD 21 million, which is GYD 7 million. You also deduct NIS of GYD 188,160 (5.6% of GYD 280,000 a month). Your taxable income is GYD 13,811,840.
Tax is 25% of GYD 3,360,000 (GYD 840,000) plus 35% of the remaining GYD 10,451,840 (GYD 3,658,144), so GYD 4,498,144.
Your all-in bill is about GYD 4,686,304, or 22.3% of your salary. Your employer pays another 8.4% NIS on top.
We use GYD 210 to US$1 to keep the figures round. The Bank of Guyana's published US dollar rates were GYD 207.98 buying and GYD 210.45 selling on 19 October 2026, so about GYD 209 to US$1.
👉 Bank of Guyana: exchange rates
Freelancing in Guyana
If you're self-employed, your profit after business expenses goes on the same 25% and 35% scale, with the same one-third allowance. You also pay NIS at 12.5% of your declared income, and the Income Tax Act's deduction for NIS covers employees only.
On US$100k of profit (GYD 21 million), income tax is about GYD 4,564,000. NIS at 12.5% of GYD 280,000 a month adds GYD 420,000, so your total is about 23.7%. The NIS website applies its earnings ceiling to "insurable income" without a separate rule for the self-employed. If NIS were charged on your whole profit, the total would be about 34%.
Minimum tax: self-employed people providing services pay at least 2% of turnover under section 37A, but only when that is more than their normal income tax. At US$100k of profit it isn't.
Permission to work: the work permit route is built around an employer. The application asks for an employment contract or letter and a sponsor, so check with the Ministry of Home Affairs before planning to work for yourself.
👉 National Insurance Scheme: contribution rates for employed and self-employed people
Crypto, investments and pensions
How is crypto taxed in Guyana? GRA hasn't published guidance. The Capital Gains Tax Act charges 20% on gains from property of any kind, including rights of any kind, whether in Guyana or elsewhere. So a crypto gain on an investment you've held for more than 12 months is likely to cost 20%. Gains within 12 months of buying are added to your income and taxed at 25% and 35%.
The main capital gains rules:
Rate: 20% of your net gains for the year, after setting off capital losses.
Small gains: no tax if your net gains for the year are GYD 500,000 or less.
Long-held assets: GRA says assets disposed of more than 25 years after you acquired them are exempt.
Shares: gains on shares or stock in public companies limited by shares are exempt. The law doesn't say whether shares in foreign listed companies count, so we assume they don't.
Your home: no tax on selling a home you lived in if you buy another home of equal or greater value in the same year or within 60 days after it ends.
Foreign gains: if you're not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Guyana, gains made abroad are only taxed when you bring them in.
Dividends paid by companies resident in Guyana are outside income tax. Foreign dividends and interest are taxed on the scale, but only on the amount you bring into Guyana if you're not domiciled. Annuities paid out of a superannuation fund are exempt under section 13. GRA hasn't said whether a foreign pension fund counts, so plan on a foreign pension you bring in being taxed like other income.
Guyana's property tax used to be a tax on an individual's net wealth: nil on the first GYD 40 million, 0.5% on the next GYD 20 million and 0.75% above that. Since 1 January 2025 individuals aren't liable, so there's now no wealth tax for individuals.
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: capital gains tax guide, the 20% rate and exemptions
Social security
The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) covers people aged 16 to 60 in insurable employment. NIS's guidance doesn't carve out foreign workers, and the work permit application asks for an NIS compliance return, so plan on paying in.
Employees: 5.6% of pay, with the employer adding 8.4%, so 14% in total.
Self-employed: 12.5% of declared income.
Ceiling: GYD 280,000 a month (GYD 64,615 a week), so the most an employee pays is GYD 15,680 a month.
Employees can deduct their NIS from taxable income. The self-employed can't, under the wording of section 16.
👉 National Insurance Scheme: questions and answers on insurable income and the self-employed
Double tax treaties
Does Guyana have double tax treaties? Only a few. The Guyana Revenue Authority names two double taxation conventions, with the UK and Canada, and the multilateral agreement among Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members. There's no income tax treaty with the United States, though Guyana has a FATCA agreement with it for exchanging account information.
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: international information exchange and double taxation conventions
Visas and long stays
Guyana has no digital nomad visa and no retirement visa. The Ministry of Home Affairs runs visitor, business, employment and student visas through its online portal.
Visitors: you can apply for an extension of stay of three months at a time, with a maximum of two extensions. You need evidence that you can pay for the extra time.
Employment: an employment visa extension or work permit needs a contract or letter of employment, police clearance, a medical report, the business registration, and income tax and NIS compliance documents.
A visitor stay isn't permission to work, and neither route has a tax exemption.
👉 Ministry of Home Affairs: visa categories and requirements
👉 Immigration Support Services: visitor extension of stay (two extensions of three months)
👉 Immigration Support Services: employment visa extension and work permit requirements
Who is Guyana good for?
How does Guyana compare for different kinds of mover? Ratings are relative to the 150+ countries TaxPilot covers, based on 2026 rules and the all-in cost including NIS, at GYD 210 to US$1. For retirees and investors we assume you bring the income into Guyana.
☑️ Who is Guyana good for? Tax ratings for expats in 2026
Expat profile | Guyana rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
Employees | Moderate | About 22.3% all-in on a US$100k salary (GYD 21 million): income tax of about 21.4% after the one-third allowance, plus the 5.6% NIS contribution, which stops at GYD 280,000 of pay a month. There's no special regime for people moving to Guyana. |
Freelancers (self-employed) | Moderate | About 23.7% on US$100k of profit: the same 25% and 35% scale and one-third allowance as a salary, plus 12.5% NIS. We assume the NIS ceiling applies to self-employed income; without it the total would be about 34%. The Income Tax Act only allows employees to deduct NIS. |
Retirees | Moderate | About 20.7% on a US$40k foreign pension plus US$20k of investment income, if you bring it all into Guyana. If you're not domiciled in Guyana, foreign income you keep abroad isn't taxed. Individuals no longer pay property tax. |
Crypto gains | Moderate | Capital gains tax of 20% applies to gains on property of any kind, in Guyana or elsewhere, so a crypto gain held over 12 months costs about 20%. Gains within 12 months are taxed as income. GRA hasn't published crypto guidance. |
Investment income | Moderate | About 19.7% on a US$1m portfolio earning 4% income and 4% realised gains, all brought into Guyana: the income goes on the 25% and 35% scale and the gains pay 20% capital gains tax. Dividends from Guyana-resident companies aren't taxed, and gains on shares in public companies are exempt. |
Digital nomad visa | Poor | Guyana has no digital nomad visa and no retirement visa. Visitors can apply for up to two extensions of three months each, and work needs an employment visa or work permit sponsored by an employer. |
Filing and deadlines
Employees pay through PAYE, and employers give you a 7B statement of earnings for the year. The 2026 return is due by 30 April 2027.
Who files: the Income Tax Act links the duty to file to income of at least GYD 1,680,000 for 2026.
Capital gains: declared on the same individual return, due by 30 April.
Insurance deductions: send statements from an approved insurer for 2026 premiums by 30 April 2027.
NIS: employers pay monthly, and self-employed schedules are due by the 15th of the following month.
👉 Guyana Revenue Authority: capital gains returns, due on or before 30 April
Frequently asked questions
When do I become tax resident in Guyana?
You're resident for a year if you live in Guyana for more than 183 days in it, or if you live there permanently or are in Guyana intending to live there permanently. The second test can make you resident in the year you arrive.
What are the income tax rates in Guyana in 2026?
25% on the first GYD 3,360,000 of taxable income and 35% above that. Before the scale you deduct a personal allowance of GYD 1,680,000 or one-third of your income, whichever is greater.
How does the one-third allowance work?
You deduct the greater of GYD 1,680,000 or a third of your total income. Once your income passes GYD 5,040,000, a third of it is tax free, so the 35% top rate works out at about 23.3% of each extra dollar.
Does Guyana tax foreign income?
Residents are taxed on worldwide income. If you're not ordinarily resident or not domiciled in Guyana, income and gains arising abroad are taxed only on the amount you bring into Guyana.
Is crypto taxed in Guyana?
There's no GRA guidance. Capital gains tax of 20% applies to gains on property of any kind, in Guyana or elsewhere, so a crypto gain held more than 12 months is likely taxed at 20%. Gains within 12 months are taxed as income.
Does Guyana have a digital nomad visa?
No. Visitors can ask for up to two three-month extensions of stay, and working in Guyana needs an employment visa or work permit, which is built around a sponsoring employer.
Where to go next
Important information
This article is general information and does not constitute tax, legal, immigration or financial advice, and does not create a client relationship. Tax outcomes depend on travel history, income sources, treaty status and the law applying to the relevant year. Rates, thresholds and regimes change, and some measures described may be proposed rather than enacted; this article reflects our understanding as at the date of publication. Obtain advice from a suitably qualified professional before acting or refraining from action.
