Capital: Kampala
Population: Population: (2022 est.) 44,269,000
Monetary Unit: Ugandan Shilling (UGX)
Language(s): Swahili, English
Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa with an economic freedom score of 54.2 making it the 127th freest in the world. The country boasts a middle ranking of 24th among 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda’s main economy relies on agriculture, making up 71.9% of its GDP. Only second to Ethiopia, coffee alone accounts for 17% of the country’s exports.
The public holidays in Uganda are as follows;
Date Holiday
- 1 Jan New Year’s Day
- 26 Jan NRM Liberation Day
- 16 Feb Archbishop Janani Luwum Day
- 8 Mar International Women’s Day
- 7 Apr Good Friday
- 9 Apr Easter Sunday
- 10 Apr Easter Monday
- 21 Apr Eid al-Fitr
- 1 May Labour Day
- 3 Jun Martyrs’ Day
- 9 Jun National Heroes Day
- 28 Jun Eid al-Adha
- 9 Oct Independence Day
- 25 Dec Christmas Day
- 26 Dec Boxing Day
Maximum length of probation period is 6 months but it may be extended to 1 year with the consent of a worker.
A worker, working weekly for sixteen or more hours, is entitled to 21 working days paid annual leave at the rate of 7 days for each period of continuous 4 months of service on completion of 12 months of continuous service. The time to take annual leave has to be agreed between the parties.
The law in Uganda says a female employee is entitled to leave as a consequence of pregnancy. This leave is for a period of 60 working days. At least 4 weeks of the maternity leave shall be for the period after birth or miscarriage.
A male employee, after birth of child or miscarriage of a wife, is entitled to fully paid 4 working days of paternity leave in a year.
In accordance with the Employment Act 2006, a worker, working at least sixteen hours a week, is entitled to pay sick leave on completion of one month of service with the employer.
There is a provision in the law regarding severance pay but this compensation is subject to negotiation between the employer and the worker. Severance pay is entitled to the worker after continuous service (of a particular employer) for at least 6 months. It is due in the following circumstance:
- unfair dismissal of the worker by the employer
- death of the worker at work not attributable to any misconduct of the worker
- termination by the worker due to physical incapacity not attributable to any misconduct of his own
- termination by reason of the death or insolvency of the employer
- termination by a labor officer following the inability or the refusal of the employer to pay wages
- and other cases as provided by the Minister.
Amount of severance pay is negotiable between the employer and the worker or the labor union that represents them.
13th / 14th Month Pay: There is no statutory requirement to pay the 13th or the 14th month salary. Employees are entitled to 21 days of holiday pay. There is no evidence that bonuses are common.
Only special passes and work permits allow foreign nationals to undertake employment in Uganda. Temporary work permits, called special passes, are valid for three months and may be extended for up to a maximum of five months. A work permit or entry permit is issued for up to three years and may be renewed every three years. Work permits are divided into seven classes (Classes A through G)
Class F permits, which are issued to practicing professionals (for example, lawyers and accountants), require the submission of the following:
- Qualifications and references or résumés
- Copy of the passport (bio-data page)
- Copy of a recent passport-size photograph
- Clearance letter from Interpol or home country
- Registration certificate with relevant professional body in Uganda
- Cover letter from the organization
- Copy of nonrefundable prepayment receipt or a copy of identification from nationals of Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda
- Security bond
Class G has two sub-classifications of work permits, which are Class G1 and Class G2. They are issued to employees. Applicants for Class G1 permits (missionaries, volunteers and workers for nongovernmental organizations [NGOs]) are required to produce the following documents:
- Certified copy of qualifications
- Appointment letter from the organization
- Copy of the passport (bio-data page)
- Copy of a recent passport-size photograph
- Cover letter from the organization
- Clearance letter from the Interpol or home country
- An employment contract
- Recommendation from the National Bureau for NGOs
Applicants for Class G2 (expatriates) are required to produce the following documents:
- Appointment letter from the organization
- Copy of the passport (bio-data page)
- Certified copy of qualifications
- Copy of a recent passport-size photograph
- Cover letter from the organization
- Copy of nonrefundable prepayment receipt
- Copy of security bond payment letter from Interpol or home country
- Income tax clearance for the organization
Foreign nationals may change employers after they have obtained work permits. However, they must apply for new work permits under their new employers.
Termination of employment is the discharge of a worker from an employment at the initiative of the employer for justifiable reasons other than misconduct. The employment of a worker terminates on expiry of employment contract, or expiry of contract for a fixed term or completion of specific task without renewal. A worker may terminate an employment contract with or without notice in case of misconduct on the part of the employer, and also before expiry of termination notice period. The required notice period depends on the worker’s length of service as follows:
- 2 weeks for service of more than 6 months but less than 1 year
- 1 month for service of more than 12 months but less than 5 years
- 2 months for service of more than 5 years but less than 10 years
- 3 months for service of 10 years or more.
There is a provision in the law regarding severance pay but this compensation is subject to negotiation between the employer and the worker. Severance pay is entitled to the worker after continuous service (of a particular employer) for at least 6 months. It is due in the following circumstance:
- unfair dismissal of the worker by the employer
- death of the worker at work not attributable to any misconduct of the worker
- termination by the worker due to physical incapacity not attributable to any misconduct of his own
- termination by reason of the death or insolvency of the employer
- termination by a labor officer following the inability or the refusal of the employer to pay wages
- and other cases as provided by the Minister.
Amount of severance pay is negotiable between the employer and the worker or the labor union that represents them.
These are mandatory benefits as postulated by law. These include probationary period, annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity overtime pay, notice period, and severance pay. Statutory benefits also include social security benefits.
According to the law, your normal working hours per day are 8 hours and these should not be more than 48 hours per week. By including the lunch and prayer time in hours of work, working hours should not be greater than 9 hours a day.
Working hours shall not exceed forty-eight hours per week and any extra hours shall be deemed to be overtime. Where hours in excess of eight hours per day or forty-eight hours per week are worked, they shall, in the absence of a written agreement to the contrary, be remunerated at the minimum rate of one and a half (1.5) times of the normal hourly rate if the overtime is on the normal working days, and at two (2) times the hourly rate where the overtime is worked on gazetted public holidays.
The required notice period depends on the worker’s length of service as follows:
- 2 weeks for service of more than 6 months but less than 1 year
- 1 month for service of more than 12 months but less than 5 years
- 2 months for service of more than 5 years but less than 10 years
- 3 months for service of 10 years or more.
Residents in Uganda taxed on worldwide income. Non-residents are taxed on Ugandan-source income only. The gross income of a resident person includes income derived from all geographical sources. The gross income of a non-resident person includes only income derived from sources within Uganda. Tax is charged on the gross income of an individual for the year less any allowed deductions granted by the ITA.
Resident Individuals
Annual Chargeable Income (UGX) Tax On Min Income (UGX) Tax On Excess (%)
0 to 2,820,000 – 0
2,820,001 to 4,020,000 – 10
4,020,001 to 4,920,000 120,000 20
4,920,001 to 120,000,000 300,000 30
120,000,001 and above 34,824,000 40
Non- Resident Individuals
Annual Chargeable Income (UGX) Tax on Min Income (UGX) Tax On Excess (%)
0 to 4,020,000 – 10
4,020,001 to 4,920,000 402,000 20
4,920,001 to 120,000,000 582,000 30
120,000,001 and above 35,106,000 40
An individual in employment is obligated to contribute 5% of one’s gross earnings to the national social security fund. An individual who is an employer is also obligated to make contributions to the national social security fund for each employee, amounting to 10% of their gross pay.
Personal deductions
Individuals are allowed deductions for donations made to amateur sporting associations, religious institutions, charitable institutions, or educational institutions of a public character. However, the allowed amount cannot exceed 5% of the chargeable income. Interest incurred on a debt by an individual is only allowed to the extent that the debt obligation was incurred in the production of income included in gross income.
Personal Allowance: The first UGX 2,820,000 of a resident individual’s annual income falls in the nil tax bands and does not suffer tax. This is the amount allowed to an individual tax free.
Business Deductions: In determining the income chargeable to tax, an individual is allowed by the law to make the following deductions from one’s gross income:
- All the expenditures and losses that were incurred by a person during the year of income to the extent to which the expenditures and losses were incurred in the production of the income that is included in gross income.
- Any loss incurred by the individual on the disposal of a business asset during the year of income.
- In cases where the individual receives rental income, an amount equal to 20% of the rental income is allowed as expenditure and losses incurred in the production of that income. The balance is then taxed at 20%.
- Interest on a mortgage from a financial institution incurred to acquire or construct premises generating rental income.
- Local service tax paid by an individual.
VAT is charged on taxable supplies made by taxable persons, the importation of goods other than in cases of exempt imports and imported services by any person. The standard VAT rate is 18%; some items are zero rated and others are exempt.
As in the case for corporations, individuals that are employers are also obligated to withhold tax on payments of employment income made to their employees. This is a final tax for an individual who does not have other sources of income. Individuals also incur WHT on payments of interest made to them. The WHT is at a rate of 15%. However, individuals are not obligated to withhold tax on payments made by them to taxable persons. WHT is also incurred at a rate of 15% on dividends received by individuals. However, if the dividend is received from a listed company, the WHT incurred is 10%.
WHT is also charged on the importation of goods into the country. The tax charged is at a rate of 6% on the value of goods imported. Individuals are required to maintain records of the WHT paid on imported goods. Tax at 6% is also deducted on receipt of payment from the government of Uganda, a government institution, a local government, or designated withholding agents for supplies exceeding UGX 1 million.