Zambia capital gains tax: no standalone tax, Property Transfer Tax applies
Zambia has no standalone capital gains tax, but a disposal is not tax-free. Qualifying transfers trigger Property Transfer Tax at 8% of realised value on land, buildings, unlisted shares and intellectual property, and at 10% on mining licences, while shares listed on a recognised exchange such as the LuSE are exempt. PTT is due within 14 days of completion.
Verified as of 2026-09-18 against the Zambia Revenue Authority and ZRA’s payment due dates calendar.
Current rules
Taxes on selling shares, crypto and property in Zambia
What you pay when you sell
| Asset | Tax on the gain |
|---|---|
| Shares (personal investment) | Nothing. Zambia has no standalone capital gains tax |
| Shares listed on a recognised exchange such as the LuSE | Nothing on the gain, and no PTT where registered under the Securities Act |
| Crypto, funds and collectibles | Nothing as a capital gain; Zambia has no dedicated CGT or PTT rule for them |
| An asset traded within a business | The gain can be taxed as ordinary business income on trading or business facts |
| Property, unlisted shares and IP | Nothing on the gain, but the transfer carries Property Transfer Tax at 8% of realised value |
Property Transfer Tax, the schedule that applies instead
| Asset or licence | PTT rate and base |
|---|---|
| Land, buildings, structures and improvements | 8% of realised value; for land, realised value is the higher of market price and declared price |
| Unlisted shares | 8% of realised value; a Zambian company share uses the higher of open-market or nominal value, and foreign-company shares are covered where the company directly or indirectly owns at least 10% of a Zambian company |
| Intellectual property | 8% of realised value (covered patents, trademarks, copyright and industrial designs) |
| Mining licence | 10% |
| Exploration licence | 8% |
| Mineral-processing licence | 10% |
| Shares listed on a recognised stock exchange (e.g. LuSE) | Nil, where registered under the Securities Act and the statutory conditions are met |
| Payment deadline for any qualifying transfer | Within 14 days from completion of the transaction |
Sourced from the authority pages above, as of 2026-09-18.
Questions
Zambia capital gains tax questions
Does Zambia have a capital gains tax?
No standalone one. Neither the Income Tax Act nor the Zambia Revenue Authority's current tax catalogue contains a capital-gains tax schedule. A disposal can still be taxed as ordinary business income where the facts are trading or business facts.
What is Property Transfer Tax and when does it apply?
PTT is the tax ZRA charges when ownership of qualifying property transfers. It applies at 8% of realised value to land, buildings, structures and improvements, unlisted shares and covered intellectual property, with land assessed on the higher of market price and declared price, and a Zambian company share on the higher of open-market or nominal value. Mining rights carry 10% for a mining licence, 8% for an exploration licence and 10% for a mineral-processing licence. It is a tax on the transfer, not on your gain.
What about listed shares?
No PTT applies where the shares or stocks are listed on a recognised stock exchange and registered under the Securities Act, such as the Lusaka Securities Exchange (LuSE), subject to the statutory conditions. With no standalone CGT either, a qualifying LuSE-listed disposal attracts neither tax.
When is PTT paid?
Within 14 days from completion of the transaction, under ZRA's payment calendar. The seller or transferor generally pays, and the charge is on the realised value of what transfers, so it applies whether the disposal makes a gain or a loss.
Is there really no capital gains tax in Zambia?
Zambia has no standalone capital-gains tax schedule located in the official Income Tax Act or the current Zambia Revenue Authority tax catalogue — an evidence-based conclusion drawn from the official legislation and ZRA's current tax list, not a verbatim sentence in one source. Investment disposals can still produce ordinary business income where the facts are trading or business facts. Source: https://www.zra.org.zm/tax-information/
What is the Property Transfer Tax rate?
Qualifying transfers trigger Property Transfer Tax at 8% of realised value on land, buildings, structures and improvements, unlisted shares and covered intellectual property. For land, realised value is the higher of market price and declared price; for a Zambian company share, the higher of open-market value or nominal value is used, and certain foreign-company shares are covered where the company directly or indirectly owns at least 10% of a Zambian company. Source: https://www.zra.org.zm/tax-information/
Are listed shares exempt?
No PTT applies where the shares or stocks are listed on a recognised stock exchange and registered under the Securities Act, such as the Lusaka Securities Exchange (LuSE), subject to the statutory conditions. Source: https://www.zra.org.zm/tax-information/
What rates apply to mining rights?
Mining rights and licences carry PTT at 10% for a mining licence, 8% for an exploration licence and 10% for a mineral-processing licence under the current ZRA table. Source: https://www.zra.org.zm/tax-information/
When must PTT be paid?
Property Transfer Tax is payable within 14 days from completion of the transaction; the seller/transferor generally pays. Source: https://www.zra.org.zm/payment-due-dates/
How are funds and crypto treated?
No dedicated CGT or PTT rule was located for fund/ETF units, cryptoassets, art, jewellery, collectibles or private vehicles. Treatment is provisional: the asset may instead be ordinary business income or fall within another statutory tax.