Guyanese employers must handle two monthly obligations: income tax through PAYE and National Insurance contributions.
PAYE
Income tax is deducted through the PAYE system at progressive rates of 25% and 35%.
From 2026, the first GYD 140,000 per month is tax-free.
Check current thresholds with the Guyana Revenue Authority, since they have been moving.
NIS
Both employer and employee contribute, at rates set as percentages of insured earnings up to a ceiling.
Contributions fund old age pensions, sickness benefits, maternity benefits and employment injury compensation.
The remittance obligation
Both employer and employee NIS portions must be calculated and remitted monthly — PAYE to the Guyana Revenue Authority and NIS to the National Insurance Scheme — along with the required returns.
Why accurate records matter to you
Because severance is calculated on wages across completed years of service, and sickness and maternity benefits are calculated on average insurable earnings, the figures recorded matter in several places.
An employer under-reporting your wage reduces your severance, your sickness benefit and your eventual pension at the same time.
Minimum wage
Minimum wage structures in Guyana are sector-specific rather than universal, similar to some Caribbean neighbours but unlike a single national minimum.
Confirm the rate for your sector with the Ministry of Labour.
What to check on your payslip
- That your wage matches your contract
- That NIS is deducted and, separately, that it reaches NIS
- That PAYE reflects the current threshold
- That no unauthorised deduction appears
Verify your NIS record
Directly with the Scheme. Gaps affect pension, sickness and maternity benefits, and they are far easier to correct while you are still employed.
Keep your payslips
Severance uses wages across completed years. Your payslips are the evidence of what those wages were.