Selling your property

Sort out your paperwork before you list. Without two certificates the transfer can't go through, and the Registrar said in 2014 that tax problems are the main delay.

The two certificates you need

Tax compliance certificate. This comes from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). You need it for land held by transport, the private ownership deed, and for land with a Certificate of Title. GRA asks for:

• both parties' Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs)
• the title document and the agreement of sale
• expense receipts and evidence of capital improvements
• ID, and your tax returns filed (its FAQ says eight years)

The certificate expires on the 30 April after it's issued, so time it with care. Under a notice dated 2 February 2026, no valuation is needed unless GRA's Commissioner-General disputes the price. The World Bank recorded no charge in 2020.

Rates certificate. This comes from your local authority. It cost G$1,500 in 2020.

If there's a mortgage, talk to your attorney early. On land with a Certificate of Title, the lender must consent to the transfer. On transport land, ask how the mortgage will be cleared, because buyers will want to see it cancelled.

Capital gains tax

You pay 20% of your net chargeable gain. You may see 25% quoted online, but PwC agrees with GRA on 20%. So a net gain of G$10M means about G$2M in tax. The main exemptions are:

• gains up to G$500,000
• sales more than 25 years after you acquired the property
• a private residence, where the money buys another residence of equal or greater value in the same year or within 60 days after year end

Sell within 12 months of buying and the gain is taxed as income instead. If you bought before 1 January 2011, your starting value is the market value on that date. Returns are due by 30 April. One legal guide says non-residents are caught too, so don't assume living abroad gets you out of it. Keep every receipt, and ask a tax adviser how this applies to you.

Attorney and agent

Your own attorney costs about 1%, on the World Bank's 2020 figure. Get a written quote.

Agent commission is less certain. Guides say 3-5%, paid by the seller, but we found no official schedule or published agent rate, so treat that as indicative only. On a G$30M sale it would be G$900,000 to G$1.5M. Agree the rate in writing. You can look up agents here and ask to see their GRA house agent licence.

Listing tips

• State the title type. Send us a copy and, if it matches your listing, you can show the Title documents seen badge. Only moderators can open the copy.
• Be clear on price. Give one price in one currency. Other sellers' figures are asking prices, and we found no public record of sold prices, so treat them as a rough guide.
• Give the lot size in feet, such as 50x100, and the construction. Greenheart matters to buyers, because New Building Society lends for 15 years at most on it.
• List what keeps the house running: backup generator, pressurized water, water tank, filtration, solar. People search for these.
• Answer honestly on flooding. Our flooding guide explains what buyers will ask.

When you're ready, list your property. How to buy property shows what happens once you've agreed a sale. On our working estimate, a clean transport takes 6-12 weeks.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Use a Guyanese attorney for the transfer and a tax adviser for the gain.