Comparison hub · 2026 data
The UAE compared with every country
The UAE charges 0% personal income tax, 0% capital gains tax for individuals, 9% corporate tax and 5% VAT. The table sets it against the other 52 jurisdictions Tax Atlas tracks, lowest income tax first. Each row opens a full side-by-side comparison.
The table
UAE taxes against every country
| Country | Top income tax | Capital gains | Corporate | VAT/GST | Foreign income | Budget / month | Pair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | 0% | 9% | 5% | Exempt | $4,500 | – |
| Anguilla | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Exempt | $5,000 | UAE vs Anguilla |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 0% | 0% | 25% | 17% | Exempt | $3,500 | UAE vs Antigua & Barbuda |
| Bahamas | 0% | 0% | 0% | 12% | Exempt | $4,500 | UAE vs Bahamas |
| Bahrain | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | Exempt | $3,000 | UAE vs Bahrain |
| Bermuda | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Exempt | $8,000 | UAE vs Bermuda |
| British Virgin Islands | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Exempt | $5,000 | UAE vs British Virgin Islands |
| Brunei | 0% | 0% | 18.5% | 0% | Exempt | $2,200 | UAE vs Brunei |
| Cayman Islands | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Exempt | $6,500 | UAE vs Cayman Islands |
| Kuwait | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Exempt | $3,000 | UAE vs Kuwait |
| Monaco | 0% | 0% | 25% | 20% | Exempt | $9,000 | UAE vs Monaco |
| Oman | 0 (5% from 2028) | 0% | 15% | 5% | Exempt | $2,800 | UAE vs Oman |
| Qatar | 0% | 0% | 10% | 5% | Exempt | $4,000 | UAE vs Qatar |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | 0% | 0% | 33% | 17% | Exempt | $3,200 | UAE vs Saint Kitts & Nevis |
| Turks and Caicos | 0% | 0% | 0% | 12% | Exempt | $5,500 | UAE vs Turks and Caicos |
| Vanuatu | 0% | 0% | 0% | 15% | Exempt | $2,800 | UAE vs Vanuatu |
| Andorra | 10% | 10% | 10% | 4.5% | Worldwide | $3,200 | UAE vs Andorra |
| Bulgaria | 10% | 10% | 10% | 20% | Worldwide | $1,600 | UAE vs Bulgaria |
| Paraguay | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | Territorial | $1,300 | UAE vs Paraguay |
| Switzerland | 11.5-36% | 0% | 11.9-20.5% | 8.1% | Worldwide | $6,500 | UAE vs Switzerland |
| Hungary | 15% | 15% | 9% | 27% | Worldwide | $2,000 | UAE vs Hungary |
| Hong Kong | 17% | 0% | 16.5% | 0% | Territorial | $5,500 | UAE vs Hong Kong |
| Georgia | 20% | 0% | 15% | 18% | Territorial | $1,500 | UAE vs Georgia |
| Guernsey | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Worldwide | $4,800 | UAE vs Guernsey |
| Jersey | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Worldwide | $5,000 | UAE vs Jersey |
| Mauritius | 20% | 0% | 15% | 15% | Worldwide | $2,000 | UAE vs Mauritius |
| Isle of Man | 21% | 0% | 0% | 20% | Worldwide | $3,300 | UAE vs Isle of Man |
| Estonia | 22% | 22% | 22% | 24% | Worldwide | $2,300 | UAE vs Estonia |
| Singapore | 24% | 0% | 17% | 9% | Territorial | $5,500 | UAE vs Singapore |
| Costa Rica | 25% | 0-15% | 30% | 13% | Territorial | $2,300 | UAE vs Costa Rica |
| Dominican Republic | 25% | 27% | 27% | 18% | Territorial | $1,900 | UAE vs Dominican Republic |
| Gibraltar | 25% | 0% | 12.5% | 0% | Worldwide | $4,000 | UAE vs Gibraltar |
| Panama | 25% | 10% | 25% | 7% | Territorial | $2,600 | UAE vs Panama |
| Malaysia | 30% | 0% | 24% | 8% | Territorial | $1,800 | UAE vs Malaysia |
| Canada | 33-54.8% | 0-27% | 26.2-31% | 5% | Worldwide | $3,800 | UAE vs Canada |
| Cyprus | 35% | 20% | 15% | 19% | Worldwide | $3,200 | UAE vs Cyprus |
| Indonesia | 35% | Varies (final taxes) | 22% | 12% | Worldwide | $1,800 | UAE vs Indonesia |
| Malta | 35% | 0% | 35% | 18% | Worldwide | $2,800 | UAE vs Malta |
| Mexico | 35% | 35% | 30% | 16% | Worldwide | $2,200 | UAE vs Mexico |
| Philippines | 35% | 0-15% | 25% | 12% | Territorial | $1,700 | UAE vs Philippines |
| Thailand | 35% | 0% | 20% | 7% | Remittance-based | $1,900 | UAE vs Thailand |
| Uruguay | 36% | 0-12% | 25% | 22% | Territorial | $2,500 | UAE vs Uruguay |
| United States | 37% | 0-20% | 21% | 0% | Worldwide | $7,000 | UAE vs United States |
| Ireland | 40% | 33% | 12.5% | 23% | Worldwide | $4,300 | UAE vs Ireland |
| Italy | 43% | 26% | 27.8% | 22% | Worldwide | $3,300 | UAE vs Italy |
| Greece | 44% | 15% | 22% | 24% | Worldwide | $2,000 | UAE vs Greece |
| Australia | 45% | 0-45% | 30% | 10% | Worldwide | $4,500 | UAE vs Australia |
| France | 45% | 0-34.5% | 25% | 20% | Worldwide | $4,000 | UAE vs France |
| Germany | 45% | 0-26.375% | 30.06% | 19% | Worldwide | $3,000 | UAE vs Germany |
| United Kingdom | 45% | 18-24% | 25% | 20% | Worldwide | $5,000 | UAE vs United Kingdom |
| Spain | 47-54% | 19-30% | 25% | 21% | Worldwide | $2,900 | UAE vs Spain |
| Portugal | 48% | 28% | 19% | 23% | Worldwide | $2,800 | UAE vs Portugal |
| Netherlands | 49.5% | 31% | 25.8% | 21% | Worldwide | $4,300 | UAE vs Netherlands |
Rates are headline figures from each country profile in the Tax Atlas dataset, with sources listed on each profile. Budgets are editorial estimates for one person in the main expat city, in US dollars. Headline rates leave out thresholds, free-zone rules and minimum taxes. Not tax advice: verify with a qualified adviser.
Before you choose
What the headline rates miss
- Becoming resident is a test, not a visa. The UAE profile sets out the day counts and ties that make someone tax resident. Compare routes on the easiest tax residency list.
- The Gulf neighbours are close substitutes. See all five on the low-tax countries in the Middle East page.
- Zero income tax exists elsewhere too. The full set is on the no income tax countries list.
Questions
Frequently asked
Which countries have no income tax like the UAE?+
Of the 53 jurisdictions Tax Atlas tracks, 15 others also charge 0% personal income tax: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Kuwait, Monaco, Oman, Qatar, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Turks and Caicos, Vanuatu. Each row in the table links to a side-by-side comparison with the UAE covering corporate tax, VAT, residency days and cost of living.
Which countries have a lower corporate tax rate than the UAE?+
The UAE's headline corporate rate is 9%. 12 jurisdictions in the dataset have a lower headline rate: Anguilla (0%), Bahamas (0%), Bahrain (0%), Bermuda (0%), British Virgin Islands (0%), Cayman Islands (0%), Kuwait (0%), Turks and Caicos (0%), Vanuatu (0%), Guernsey (0%), Jersey (0%), Isle of Man (0%). Large multinational groups can face a 15% minimum tax in many of them, so verify with a qualified adviser.
Which low-tax countries are cheaper to live in than Dubai?+
Tax Atlas budgets one person in Dubai at about $4,500 a month. 37 jurisdictions come in lower; the cheapest with a top income tax rate of 10% or less are Paraguay (about $1,300), Bulgaria (about $1,600), Brunei (about $2,200), Oman (about $2,800), Vanuatu (about $2,800). Budgets are editorial estimates, not official figures.
What is the most compared country with the UAE?+
The UAE pairs Tax Atlas readers open most are with Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Monaco, Qatar, Hong Kong, Georgia, Singapore, Cyprus, Malta, United States, United Kingdom, Portugal. Every other pair in the table opens the same side-by-side view on demand.
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