Money in Sri Lanka, explained.
Plain-language guides to income tax, vehicle import duty, loans and EPF, with numbers from current Sri Lanka law.
Why minimum payments are a trap: what your credit card doesn't tell you
Paying the minimum on a Rs. 150,000 balance at 26% takes 7 years and 7 months to clear and costs Rs. 104,150 in interest. Here's the full picture.
How EPF contributions are calculated on your salary
Unlike income tax, EPF and ETF use no bands or thresholds, just a fixed percentage of your salary at any income level. Here's the exact arithmetic, at three different salary levels.
Tax relief and deductions you might be missing
Your monthly APIT deduction only ever applies the flat personal relief. Solar panels and charitable donations can reduce your tax further, but none of it shows up on your payslip automatically.
Does a 1% rate difference actually matter?
A one percentage point gap between two loan quotes looks negligible on paper, but it isn't. Here's exactly how much one point actually costs, in real rupees.
Extra loan payments: how much interest do they really save?
A fixed EMI feels like the whole story, but it isn't. A modest extra payment each month on a Rs. 1,000,000 loan changes both the timeline and the total interest. Here's the exact math.
EPF, ETF and gratuity: the complete employee's guide
EPF, ETF, and gratuity are often lumped together, but they're three separate entitlements with different rates and payout rules. Here's exactly how each one works, with a full worked example.
Sri Lanka's 2025/26 PAYE bands: what they actually mean for your salary
Sri Lanka's PAYE system taxes income progressively across five bands, with the first Rs. 1,800,000 a year completely tax free. Here's exactly how it works, with two worked salary examples.