DoubleTaxationTaxes on salary: Ghana preliminary data
How much income tax and social contributions are paid on a salary in Ghana, what a sole proprietor and a company pay, and which special regimes exist. Preliminary data.
Preliminary data: headline rates from official sources and bulletins of international organisations, without reliefs or special rules; being refined.
Calculation for a gross salary of €60,000 per year
| Gross salary | GHS 738,423 ≈ €60,000 |
|---|---|
| Income tax | GHS 211,901 ≈ €17,218 |
| Employee contributions | GHS 40,613 ≈ €3,300 |
| Take-home pay | GHS 485,908 ≈ €39,482 |
| Employer contributions and payroll taxes | GHS 95,995 ≈ €7,800 |
| Employer's labour cost | GHS 834,418 ≈ €67,800 |
Only some of the country's direct taxes and levies are counted: income tax on wages and compulsory contributions. Not counted: property and real-estate taxes; taxes on dividends, interest and other investment income; inheritance and gift taxes; indirect taxes such as VAT, excise and customs duties.
Taxes for sole proprietors and companies
Tax and contributions on the profit for a year; expenses are 10% of revenue, the company pays its profit out to the owner. Reliefs and local taxes are not included.
| Annual revenue | €30,000 GHS 369,212 | €60,000 GHS 738,423 | €120,000 GHS 1,476,846 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietor | GHS 83,140 25.0 % | GHS 186,056 28.0 % | GHS 418,660 31.5 % |
| Company | GHS 103,010 31.0 % | GHS 206,020 31.0 % | GHS 412,040 31.0 % |
| Sole proprietor · Modified Taxation Scheme (presumptive tax) | GHS 11,076 3.3 % | GHS 22,153 3.3 % | above the regime's limit |
Special tax regimes
Exemption of pension income
For pensioners · rate 0.0 %
Who: Recipients of pensions.
Pensions are exempt income and are not taxed.
Legal basis: Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896), exempt income (as listed by GRA)
Exemption of gains on Ghana Stock Exchange-listed securities and of approved fund income
For investors · rate 0.0 %
Who: Individual investors in GSE-listed securities and approved collective investment schemes.
Gains from the realisation of GSE-listed securities, and interest or dividends paid to holders of approved unit trusts or mutual funds, are exempt from income tax.
Legal basis: Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896), exempt income (as listed by GRA)
Tax residence
The tax residence check does not cover Ghana yet.
Assumptions
- Calculated with the OECD Taxing Wages methodology: income tax including local taxes plus employee social security; single person without children, tax year 2026, ECB rate of 2 January 2026.
- Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 12.30705 GHS (Bank of Ghana — Historical Interbank FX Rates (USDGHS mid rate), 2026-01-02) ↗
Sources
- Ghana Revenue Authority — Pay As You Earn (PAYE), rates for year of assessment 2026
- Ghana Revenue Authority — Amendments: Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 1178)
- Ghana Revenue Authority — Implementation of new tax laws and amendments (Act 1111 rates from 1 Jan 2024)
- Ghana Revenue Authority — Corporate Income Tax
- Ministry of Finance Ghana — A survey of the Ghanaian tax system (IFS, 2023 update, Mar 2024)
- US SSA — Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Africa, 2019 — Ghana
- Ghana Revenue Authority — Income tax exemptions
Data checked: 2026-11-08. An indicative calculation for a typical case. Not tax advice.