How a Mauritius Company Is Taxed on Its Profits

What is corporate tax in Mauritius?

Corporate tax is the income tax a company pays on its profits. The corporate tax rate in Mauritius for a standard domestic company is 15% of taxable income. The rate is set in Part IV of the First Schedule to the Income Tax Act 1995, and section 44 applies it to any company, subject to the special regimes in sections 44B and 44C. It has applied to tax years beginning on or after 1 July 2010.

The company tax rate in Mauritius is therefore a single headline figure. The tax actually paid, however, depends on four things: how taxable income is computed, whether a special regime applies, which additional charges are triggered, and which parts of the income are partly exempt. The rest of this page follows that order.

The figures here reflect the Income Tax Act as consolidated by the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) up to the Finance Act 2026. Companies holding a Global Business Licence follow a separate regime, which this page does not cover.

From profit to tax: where the 15% applies

The 15% is charged on taxable income, not on accounting profit and not on turnover. Taxable income starts from the profit shown in the financial statements and is adjusted by tax rules: some expenses are not deductible, capital expenditure is relieved through allowances rather than depreciation, and past losses may be set off. Three companion guides cover those adjustments: which business expenses a company can deduct, capital allowances on equipment and vehicles and carrying forward a tax loss.

A resident company is taxed under the same rate whether it is a one-director private company or a larger group member. Size does not change the headline rate. It changes the surrounding obligations, such as annual fees and financial reporting.

The 3% rate for exporters of goods

A reduced rate of 3% applies to companies that export goods (Part II of the First Schedule), and the MRA states it has applied since 1 July 2017. The qualifying test is the legal definition of "export of goods", not a general description of the business.

That definition is narrower than it may sound. The Finance Act 2026 removes the export of live animals from it, which takes that activity out of the 3% rate with effect from 13 August 2026. A company that sells services, or that merely trades abroad, should not assume it qualifies.

Alternative Minimum Tax

Section 44A of the Income Tax Act sets a floor. If a company's normal tax is lower than 10% of its adjusted book profit, the tax due becomes 10% of that adjusted book profit. The rule applies from the tax year beginning on 1 July 2026.

It is aimed at specific sectors: hotels, insurers, financial intermediaries, property companies and telecommunications companies. It does not apply to a global business entity, which the Income Tax Act defines as including both the holder of a Global Business Licence and an Authorised Company. Most other domestic companies are therefore unaffected, but the sector test deserves a check before a tax year starts.

Charges that sit on top of the rate

CCR Levy

The Corporate Climate Responsibility (CCR) Levy is 2% of the chargeable income of any company. It is due for the tax year beginning on 1 July 2024 and every year after. No levy is due when the company's turnover for the tax year does not exceed MUR 50 M.

CSR fund

Under section 50L, a company must set up a Corporate Social Responsibility fund equal to 2% of its taxable income of the previous year. The mechanics, and how the amount is used, are explained in the CSR contribution guide.

Fair Share Contribution

The Fair Share Contribution applies to companies whose taxable income exceeds MUR 24 M in the financial year. Since the Finance Act 2026, with effect from 13 August 2026, the turnover criterion has been removed, so only taxable income counts. The contribution is 5% of taxable income for a company taxed at 15% and 2% for a company taxed at 3%, on income earned from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. Global business entities and certain exempt bodies are excluded. See the Fair Share Contribution page for the detail.

Top-up tax for large multinational groups

A Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (QDMT) applies to members of a multinational group with consolidated annual turnover of EUR 750 M in at least 2 of the 4 preceding financial years, from the tax year beginning on 1 July 2025. It is due where the combined effective tax rate of the covered entities is below 15%. The top-up is (15% minus the combined effective rate) multiplied by the excess profit. Most owner-managed companies will never meet this threshold.

Partial exemptions and dividends

Several kinds of income are partly exempt, usually on conditions:

• Foreign-source dividends: 80% is exempt for a company other than a bank within section 44C, provided the dividend was not deducted in the source country and the company meets the prescribed substance requirements.
• Interest: 80% of interest received is exempt, except for banks, non-bank deposit-taking institutions, foreign exchange dealers, insurers, leasing companies and factoring or credit companies. Substance conditions also apply.
• Foreign permanent establishment: 80% of the profit attributable to a foreign permanent establishment of a resident company is exempt (Sub-part C, item 40).

At the shareholder end, dividends paid by a Mauritian resident company are exempt from income tax in the recipient's hands (Second Schedule, Part II, Sub-part B, item 1), and no withholding tax is provided for on them. How a company decides to pay one is covered in paying a dividend from a Mauritius company, and other outgoing payments in withholding tax on payments made by a Mauritius company.

Which rate applies? A quick decision path

A worked example, layer by layer

The example avoids invented amounts. It sets out the assumptions and shows which percentage applies to which base, so that you can drop in your own figures.

Assumptions: a resident private company, not a global business entity, not in an Alternative Minimum Tax sector, not an exporter, with turnover above MUR 50 M and taxable income below the Fair Share Contribution threshold. Call its taxable income T.

Reading the table: the income tax is 15% multiplied by T. The CCR Levy is calculated on chargeable income, a term the Income Tax Act defines separately, so confirm the base before using T. The CSR fund looks back one year, so it follows the previous year's taxable income and not this year's.

Three variations change the picture:

1. Turnover at or below MUR 50 M: the CCR Levy line falls away.
2. Foreign dividend received: only the part that is not exempt enters taxable income, and only if the substance conditions are met. The 80% exemption is lost if they are not.
3. Taxable income above MUR 24 M: the Fair Share Contribution at 5% of taxable income is added for a company taxed at 15%.

Whether the Alternative Minimum Tax floor bites is tested at the end: compare the normal tax computed above with 10% of adjusted book profit.

Paying and reporting the tax

Tax is paid in instalments during the year under the advance payment system, then settled when the return is filed. Filing steps, deadlines and portal use are explained in corporate income tax return filing in Mauritius; this page deals only with the rate and the charges.

Checklist before the tax year starts

• Confirm whether the company is a global business entity
• Check turnover against the CCR Levy threshold
• Test the sector against the Alternative Minimum Tax rules
• Estimate whether taxable income will cross the Fair Share Contribution threshold
• Identify any foreign dividends or interest and the substance evidence needed
• Plan cash for instalments and the CSR fund

Whether any of these points applies to a given company depends on its facts. If you want an analysis of your own position, you can send a request through the contact form and it will be passed to an FSC-licensed corporate service provider (Management Licence).