Payroll and Employment Taxes in Haiti

Overview of Payroll Taxes in Haiti

Navigating payroll taxes in Haiti is essential for any business—large or small—operating here. Employers need to manage income tax withholding, social security (ONA), health and maternity insurance, and local payroll levies. Getting these right can be complex, and mistakes may lead to penalties, strained employee trust, or even audits. In this guide, we’ll help you get a handle on payroll tax types, calculation methods, filing deadlines, and compliance requirements. Note that tax rates and rules in Haiti can vary depending on business size, employee income levels, and your precise location—so stay alert and proactive.

Payroll Cycle in Haiti

The payroll cycle in Haiti is usually Monthly, with employees being paid as stipulated in employment contract.

How is Payroll Calculated in Haiti?

Payroll in Haiti begins with gross salary, to which various deductions are applied:

   
• Social Security (ONA): 6 % of salary (shared equally by employer and employee).
   
• Health & Maternity Insurance (OFATMA): 3 % each for employer and employee.
   
• Occupational Accident Insurance: Employers in certain sectors pay 2 %.
   
• Payroll Tax: Employees contribute 2 % of wages.
   
• Income Tax (PAYE): Progressive, based on annual taxable income.
   
• Optional bonuses: The mandatory 13th-month salary paid in December further affects annual payroll calculations.

Net pay is gross minus employee-side deductions. The employer-side contributions must be added to total labor cost.

Types of Payroll Taxes in Haiti

Haiti’s payroll tax structure includes several components—each with specific rates and responsibilities:

Social Security (ONA)

A mandatory contribution for retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. Total rate: 12% (6% employer + 6% employee) of gross salary. Paid monthly. Late contributions incur penalties.

Health & Maternity Insurance (OFATMA)

This contribution covers medical and maternity care costs. The total rate is 6% (3% employer + 3% employee), applied monthly. Employers must register and remit contributions; non-compliance may trigger fines.

Occupational Accident Insurance

Occupational Accident Insurance applies to employees in commercial sectors. The employer is responsible for paying 2% of gross wages. These contributions are remitted monthly to the accident insurance fund.

How to Set Up a Payroll in Haiti

Registering with Haitian Authorities

Employers must first register with the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) for PAYE, and with both ONA and OFATMA for social security and health insurance contributions. Each employee must also be registered with ONA and OFATMA. Foreign hires must additionally obtain a work permit from the Ministry or Labor Directorate.

Choosing a Payroll System

Employers can select payroll software or partner with a payroll service provider to manage deductions, filings, and payslips. This helps ensure accuracy and timely filings. Recommended tools include Playroll, as well as other local or global payroll platforms.

Onboarding Employees for Payroll

During onboarding, employers should collect essential documents such as national ID, birth certificate, educational credentials, and work permit (for foreign employees). The payroll system must be set up with salary details, applicable tax bracket, and benefit deductions to ensure alignment between employee records and payroll contributions.

Step-by-Step Payroll Processing in Haiti

Collecting Timesheets and Attendance Data

Employers should use weekly or monthly tracking methods, such as employee logbooks or timecards, to ensure accurate calculation of standard and overtime hours. Haitian labor law permits 48-hour weeks, with a maximum of 80 overtime hours per quarter at a rate of 150%.

Calculating Salaries and Deductions

Payroll processing begins by computing gross pay, from which employee contributions (ONA, OFATMA, accident insurance, and payroll tax) are subtracted. Employers must also withhold PAYE based on the applicable income bracket, scaled monthly. The employer’s share of contributions is added to total labor costs.

Generating and Distributing Payslips

Payslips must include details such as gross pay, each deduction, net pay, and employer contributions. Employers should distribute payslips on time, whether digitally or as printed copies.

Submitting Payroll to Authorities

Employers must file and pay ONA, OFATMA, accident insurance, payroll tax, and PAYE on a monthly basis. The deadline is typically the 15th of the following month. Late or incomplete filings can result in interest charges and potential audits.

Paying Employees

Salaries are usually paid monthly, according to contract terms. Electronic bank transfers are the most common method of payment, though cheques or cash payments (with proper records) are also used. It is essential to ensure timely payment in compliance with labor regulations.

How to Submit Payroll Tax in Haiti

Employers in Haiti can remit payroll contributions through several channels:

   
• Online portal via DGI’s digital payment system
   
• Bank payment or direct deposit at authorized financial institutions
   
• In-person submission through government office receipts

It is critical to retain payment confirmations and reports for audit purposes.

Payroll Tax Due Dates in Haiti

Payroll Contributions in Haiti

Understanding the tax obligations for both employers and employees is crucial when operating in Haiti's business landscape. This section explains how taxes and statutory fees affect payroll and individual earnings in Haiti.

Employer Tax Contributions in Haiti

Employers in Haiti are obligated to make specific tax contributions on behalf of their employees. These contributions are essential for compliance with local labour laws and social security regulations.

Employee Payroll Tax Contributions in Haiti

Employees in Haiti are required to contribute a portion of their earnings towards various social security and insurance schemes. These deductions are automatically withheld from their salaries.

Individual Income Tax Contributions in Haiti

Haiti employs a progressive income tax system, where tax rates increase with higher income levels. The following are the income tax brackets for 2025.

Managing Common Payroll Challenges in Haiti

Global employers operating in Haiti often encounter unique payroll challenges that can affect compliance and efficiency, like navigating evolving tax laws and managing employee data. With a need for real-time accuracy, modern organizations must develop strategies to overcome these challenges effectively. Below, we explore some of the most common payroll hurdles and provide actionable solutions to streamline payroll processes in Haiti.

Maintaining Accurate and Detailed Payroll Reports

Maintaining accurate global payroll reports is often challenging due to currency exchange complexities, data integration issues, and the need to keep employee information up-to-date – including tax information, hours worked, leave balances, and any changes in salary or job status. Generating accurate reports is easy with a comprehensive payroll automation tool that consolidates fragmented data sources, and can keep track of employee payments and deductions.

Keeping Up With Ever-Changing Tax Laws & Compliance Laws

In Haiti, tax laws and compliance regulations can change frequently, presenting a significant challenge for global employers. Monitoring updates to federal, state, and local tax codes is crucial to avoid non-compliance and costly penalties, but requires significant time and resources. Partnering with local experts or a reputable global HR platform is an effective way to maintain compliance. These services can help employers stay compliant with evolving regulations while freeing up time for more strategic work.

Consolidating Multi-Vendor Payroll Analytics

Managing payroll across multiple vendors often leads to fragmented data and inefficiencies, making it difficult to consolidate analytics. These challenges can hinder decision-making, especially when trying to gain a clear view of workforce costs and trends. To address this, organizations can invest in a centralized payroll management system that unifies data from multiple vendors. A consolidated platform simplifies payroll tracking, ensures data accuracy, and provides actionable insights into payroll expenditures.

Integrating Multiple HR & Payroll Systems

Global companies are prone to using multiple HR or payroll systems across regions, which can easily lead to fragmented payroll data, increasing the risk of delays and errors in employee compensation. To combat this, seamless integration between payroll and other systems is critical.

Payroll management systems that connect with existing HR and financial platforms can help streamline workflows by reducing manual inputs and ensuring that all departments operate with up-to-date, accurate information. In turn, this helps guarantee on-time, accurate payroll, boosting employee satisfaction.

What Does a Global Payroll Management Platform Cover?

A global payroll management platform is a software solution designed to streamline and automate the payroll processes for organizations with employees across multiple countries. It helps ensure accurate and timely payment while maintaining compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in Haiti.

Key functions of a payroll management platform can include:

   
• Consolidate payroll data: Streamline fragmented payroll data into one source of truth when you’re operating in multiple regions.
   
• Analytics and reporting: Advanced capabilities to analyze payroll data and generate automated reports per region.
   
• Monitor and standardize payroll: Get an accurate view of employee costs, bonuses, and taxes per region, catch variances, and standardize payroll processes across regions to minimize errors.
   
• Compliance and record-keeping: Maintains accurate payroll records and ensures adherence to labor laws and regulations, reducing the risk of legal issues.
   
• Employee self-service: Provides portals where employees can access pay stubs, update personal information, and manage benefits selections.

How Playroll Can Streamline Payroll & Taxes in Haiti

Expanding globally is an exciting milestone for any company, but it comes coupled with complex payroll challenges. It doesn’t have to be complicated. At Playroll, our easy-to-implement global payroll management software combines automation with hands-on support to make global payroll truly simple. Here's how Playroll helps:

   
• Multi-Vendor Integration: Our platform syncs seamlessly with your providers and in-house systems to unify global payroll services in one platform.
   
• Standardize Payroll Processes: Unify your operations in one dashboard to ensure payroll is running smoothly globally, with advanced approval flows and reports.
   
• Improve Governance & Compliance: Improve compliance by centralizing all your compliance tasks and processes. Easily track your payment obligations, with digitized audit trails.
   
• Advanced Reporting: Access and configure your data, your way, with a comprehensive suite of payroll analytics and reporting tools.