Impostos al Camerun

Company Tax

33% for companies with a turnover above 3 billions
30.8% for companies with a turnover below 3 billions

Tax Rate For Foreign Companies

Resident firms are taxed on worldwide income whereas non-resident companies are only liable for their Cameroon-sourced income.
An entity is deemed resident if its registered office, centre of activity, or management is located in Cameroon; if it has resident employees in Cameroon that provide services to customers; or if it has a permanent establishment in the country.

Capital Gains Taxation

Capital gains are treated as business income and taxed at the standard corporate tax rates. Capital gains arising from the sale of listed shares or the transfer of rights related to natural resources are subject to a 16.5% withholding tax. Gains derived from the transfer of stocks and shares and bonds are taxable even in the case of indirect disposals.

Main Allowable Deductions and Tax Credits

Depreciation of tangible and intangible assets is tax-deductible at rates ranging from 1% to 100%. Deduction of depreciation can be carried forward indefinitely. Goodwill can also be amortised for tax purposes.
The Cameroon Tax Code does not provide any mechanism for the deduction of start-up costs, but these may be deductible over a period of two to five years based on the accounting principles of the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).
Any payment made for the purchase of intellectual property (within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community) is deductible up to 2.5% of taxable income.
Interest costs and bad debt are generally deductible. For bad debt deduction, companies must prove they have unsuccessfully carried out measures for debt recovery.
Donations to charities are not deductible. On the other hand, payments to research and development organizations, educational, sports, philanthropic and social organisations are deductible at the rate of 0.5% of the annual turnover (the rate goes up to 5% for donations to clubs participating in the elite national competitions or to recognised organisations responsible for the organisation of official sports competitions).
Fines and taxes paid are not deductible (with the exception of business taxes regarding operations in Cameroon).
Tax losses can be carried forward for up to four years (six years for credit institutions and companies in the State portfolio). The carryback of losses is not permitted.

Other Corporate Taxes

Social security contributions payable by the employer amount to 11.2% of the salary. The contribution base is capped at XAF 750,000 per month. Employers are also required to pay a 1.75%, 2% or 5% salary contribution to the National Social Insurance Fund. The payroll tax is 2.5% of the total amount of wages and benefits in kind.
All companies are subject to a professional tax (business license tax) at varying rates based on their turnover. It amounts to 0.159% of the turnover of large companies (a minimum contribution of XAF 5 million and a maximum of XAF 2.5 billion), 0.283% for medium-sized enterprises (a minimum contribution of XAF 141,500 and a maximum of XAF 4.5 million) and 0.494% for small businesses (a minimum contribution of XAF 50,000 and a maximum of XAF 140,000). Newly incorporated businesses are exempt from this tax in their first year of operation.
A 16.5% WHT is to be deducted at source by entities that pay remunerations granted to the board members of public institutions, public corporations, and semi-public companies in any capacity.
Stamp duties range from XAF 1,000 to XAF 1,500. Registration fees are also levied on most transactions (listed by the General Tax Code) at rates ranging from 1% to 15%. The sale of a company is subject to 15% transfer duty.
The property tax is levied at 0.1% of the assessed value of a property.
A tourist tax is levied according to the type of hotel, between XAF 500 and 5,000.
A special tax on petroleum products is payable by companies distributing taxable products. The rate is XAF 110 per litre on super gasoline and XAF 65 per litre on petroleum diesel.

Other Domestic Resources

Consult Doing Business Website, to obtain a summary of the taxes and mandatory contributions.

Tax Rate

Allowable Deductions and Tax Credits

Allowable deductions include business expenses (up to 30% of the taxable salary) and social security contributions. All individuals are entitled to an annual abatement of a fixed amount of XAF 500,000 for wages and salaries.
Wages of less than XAF 62,000, scholarships, interest on savings not exceeding XAF 50 million, and income on cash vouchers issued by companies are exempt from personal income tax.

Special Expatriate Tax Regime

There is no special tax regime for expatriates, who are taxed on their Cameroon-source income.
Foreigners who stay in Cameroon for more than 183 days in a calendar year are considered tax domiciled in Cameroon.