Zambia

Corporate - Taxes on corporate income

Last reviewed - 01 June 2022

Zambia principally operates a source-based system for the taxation of income. Income deemed to
be from a Zambian source is generally subject to income tax. However, the residence of a
person/entity in Zambia will widen the scope of taxation to include interest and dividend income
from non-Zambian sources. Consequently, Zambian residents will also be subject to income tax
on interest and dividends from sources outside Zambia on a worldwide basis.

A non-Zambian resident enterprise that has a permanent establishment (PE) in Zambia will be
subject to corporate income tax (CIT) on its income attributable to the PE in Zambia. If there is
no PE, Zambian-source income of the non-Zambian resident may still be subject to WHT, which
is generally deducted at source (see the Withholding taxes section).

with effect from 1 January 2022, the standard rate of CIT applicable on taxable income of
corporate entities is 30% (previously 35%). However, for telecommunication companies, the
30% rate only applies to income of less than KMW 250,000 a year, and a top marginal tax rate of
40% applies for income exceeding KMW 250,000.

Small businesses that are not capable of keeping records to enable effective tax assessment are
subject to base tax, which is levied at ZMW 365 per annum. This typically applies to small
traders in markets.

The following sources of income are subject to different CIT rates:

Source of income CIT rate (%)

Electronic communications networks or service licensees (income in excess of
40
ZMW 250,000)
Farming 10
Agro-processing 10
Export of non-traditional products from farming and agro-processing 10
Export of non-traditional products other than those relating to farming and
15
agro-processing (1)
Production of organic fertiliser and chemical manufacture of fertiliser 15

The rates applicable for mining operations (for both base metals and industrial minerals) are as
follows:

Tax on mining operations (2) (for both base metals and industrial minerals [3]) Rate
CIT 30%
Tax on mining operations (2) (for both base metals and industrial minerals [3]) Rate
Additional variable profits N/A

Income earned solely from mineral processing is subject to CIT at a rate of 30% (4).

Notes

1. Non-traditional products refer to anything produced or manufactured in the Republic,

excluding minerals, electricity, services, or cotton lint exported without an export permit
from the Minister of Commerce.
2. Mining operations means an operation carried out under a mining right, excluding an
operation carried out under a mineral processing licence only or an exploration licence.
3. Industrial minerals include rocks or minerals other than gemstones, base metals, energy
minerals, or precious metals used in their natural state or after physical or chemical
transformation, including barites, dolomite, feldspar, fluorspar, graphite, gypsum,
ironstone when used as a fluxing agent, kyanite, limestone, phyllite, magnesite, mica,
nitrate, phosphate, pyrophyllite, salt, sand, clay, talc, laterite, gravel, potash, potassium
minerals, granite, marble, clay, silica, diatomite, kaolin, bentonite, or quartz.
4. Mineral processing means the practice of beneficiating or liberating valuable minerals
from their ores, which may combine a number of unit operations, such as crushing,
grinding, sizing, screening, classification, washing, froth floatation, gravity
concentration, electrostatic separation, magnetic separation, leaching, smelting, refining,
calcining, and gasification or any other processes incidental thereto.

Reduced CIT rates apply in some other cases, including for certain companies listed on the
Lusaka Securities Exchange.

Mineral royalty tax

The mineral royalty tax regime in Zambia has undergone a number of changes since 2015.
However, with effect from 1 January 2019, the following mineral royalty rates apply:

Description Rate (%)

For a holder of a mining licence:
On the norm value of the base metals produced or recoverable under the licence,
5.0
except when the base metal is copper.
On the norm value of the base metals produced or recoverable under the licence,
8.0
when the base metal is cobalt
On the norm value of the base metals produced or recoverable under the licence,
6.0
when the base is a precious metal.
On the gross value of the energy and industrial minerals produced or
5.0
recoverable under the licence.
On the gross value of the gemstones produced or recoverable under the licence. 6.0
 On the norm value of the precious metals produced or recoverable under the
6.0
licence.
Where the base metal produced or recoverable under the licence is copper:
On the norm value when the norm price of copper is less than USD* 4,500 per
5.5
tonne.
On the norm value, when the norm price of copper is USD 4,500 per tonne or
6.5
greater, but less than USD 6,000 per tonne.
On the norm value, when the norm price of copper is USD 6,000 per tonne or
7.5
greater, but less than USD 7,500 per tonne.
On the norm value, when the norm price of copper is USD 7,500 per tonne or
8.5
greater, but less than USD 9,000 per tonne.
On the norm value, when the norm price of copper is USD 9,000 per tonne or
10.0
greater.

* United States dollars

From 1 January 2022, mineral royalty tax is deductible in determining the taxable income of a
mining company.