Cambodia · Tax & accounting
Accounting and tax services in Cambodia
Bookkeeping, the monthly tax declarations, the annual Tax on Profit return, payroll, and the patent tax, run for your Cambodian company by a local team. We keep your accounts to standard and your filings with the GDT on time, so the year-end is routine rather than a scramble.
Overview
How tax and accounting work in Cambodia
Cambodia runs a self-assessment tax system through the General Department of Taxation, the GDT. A company keeps its books, files a set of monthly tax declarations, and submits one annual return that settles the year. Most businesses now file electronically through the GDT portal.
The monthly declarations are due by the 20th, or the 25th if you e-file, and cover the prepayment of tax on profit, VAT, withholding tax, and salary tax. The annual Tax on Profit return, along with the patent tax renewal, falls due by 31 March. Accounts are kept under Cambodian financial reporting standards, in riel, though the US dollar is used alongside it in practice.
The taxes
The main taxes a company files
What goes to the GDT, and when.
| Tax | Rate | Filed |
|---|---|---|
| Tax on Profit | 20% standard (5% insurance, 30% oil, gas, and mining) | Annually, by 31 March |
| Prepayment of Tax on Profit | 1% of monthly turnover | Monthly, by the 25th |
| VAT | 10% (0% on exports) | Monthly, by the 25th |
| Tax on Salary | 0% to 20% progressive (20% for non-residents) | Monthly, by the 25th |
| Withholding tax | 14% to non-residents; 4 to 15% on domestic payments | Monthly, by the 25th |
| Patent tax | Set by taxpayer size | Annually, by 31 March |
Monthly returns are due by the 20th for paper filing and the 25th through the GDT e-filing portal, which most companies use. A nil return is required even in a month with no activity.
What we handle
Your accounting and tax, end to end
Everything your Cambodian company owes the GDT, plus the books behind it.
Bookkeeping
Monthly books kept under Cambodian financial reporting standards, in the form the GDT and the regulator expect.
Monthly tax declarations
The monthly filing of prepayment tax, VAT, withholding tax, and salary tax through the GDT portal, on time.
Annual Tax on Profit return
The yearly return and the calculation behind it, filed by 31 March with your monthly prepayments credited against it.
Payroll and Tax on Salary
Payroll, the monthly salary tax and fringe benefit tax, and the NSSF contributions for your staff.
Patent tax and registration
Your tax registration and TIN, and the annual patent tax that every active business renews by 31 March.
Audit coordination
Where the thresholds require it, we prepare the statements and coordinate the independent audit and the ACAR filing.
Audit and compliance
When an audit is required
Unlike some of its neighbors, Cambodia does not require every company to be audited. An independent audit is mandatory for Qualified Investment Projects, public enterprises, and companies that meet at least two of three thresholds: annual turnover above KHR 4 billion, total assets above KHR 3 billion, or more than 100 employees. Below those, an audit is optional, and the audited statements that are required go to the Accounting and Auditing Regulator, ACAR, each year.
There is still a reason to keep audit-standard books when you are under the threshold, and it comes down to the minimum tax.
Proper books can save you the minimum tax. The minimum tax is a separate charge of 1 percent of annual turnover, applied instead of the tax on profit when it works out higher. Companies that keep proper, audit-standard accounting records are exempt from it, so good bookkeeping is not just compliance, it can directly lower the tax you pay.
Whether you need an audit or just clean books that keep you off the minimum tax, it is the same starting point. Talk to our Cambodia team about where your company sits.
Common questions
Tax and accounting questions
What company owners in Cambodia ask most.
What is the corporate tax rate in Cambodia?
The Tax on Profit is 20 percent for most companies. Insurance is taxed at 5 percent of premiums, and oil, gas, and mining at 30 percent. Companies holding Qualified Investment Project status can have a tax holiday of several years.
When are taxes filed in Cambodia?
Monthly declarations are due by the 20th, or the 25th if you e-file, covering prepayment tax, VAT, withholding tax, and salary tax. The annual Tax on Profit return and the patent tax renewal are both due by 31 March. A nil return is required even in a month with no activity.
What is the monthly prepayment of tax on profit?
A monthly payment of 1 percent of turnover, filed with your other monthly returns and credited against your annual Tax on Profit. If your prepayments exceed the final tax, the excess carries forward as a credit rather than being refunded in cash.
What is the minimum tax?
A separate tax of 1 percent of annual turnover, charged instead of the Tax on Profit when it is higher. Companies that maintain proper accounting records are exempt from it, which is one of the strongest reasons to keep clean books.
Does my company need an audit?
Only if it is a Qualified Investment Project, a public enterprise, or meets two of three thresholds: turnover above KHR 4 billion, assets above KHR 3 billion, or more than 100 employees. Below those, an audit is optional in Cambodia.
What is patent tax?
An annual business registration tax that every active business renews by 31 March, with the amount set by your taxpayer size. A separate patent tax is due for each distinct business activity or branch.
How is salary taxed?
Through the monthly Tax on Salary, progressive from 0 to 20 percent for residents and a flat 20 percent for non-residents, withheld by the employer alongside the NSSF social security contributions. Fringe benefits are taxed separately at 20 percent.
What accounting standards apply?
Cambodian International Financial Reporting Standards (CIFRS), kept in Khmer and in riel. The US dollar is widely used in day-to-day business, but the statutory records and filings follow the Cambodian standards.
On the ground in Cambodia
Talk to our Phnom Penh team
Tell us your financial year-end and where your books stand. Our Phnom Penh team will set up your bookkeeping, file the monthly declarations and the annual Tax on Profit return with the GDT, and coordinate the audit if your thresholds require it.