Tax comparison · verified June 2026

United Kingdom tax vs every other country

🇬🇧 United Kingdom against all 52 other jurisdictions Tax Atlas tracks, on the six figures that decide most moves: top income tax, capital gains, dividends, corporate tax, VAT and how foreign income is taxed. Sorted by top income tax, lowest first.

In short
  • Top income tax: 45% · 45 of 52 jurisdictions are lower
  • Corporate tax: 25% · 35 of 52 are lower
  • VAT / sales tax: 20% · 39 of 52 are lower
  • Foreign income: Worldwide · shared by 25 others

The table

United Kingdom compared with 52 jurisdictions

CountryTop income taxCapital gainsDividendsCorporateVATForeign incomeSide by side
Anguilla0%0%0%0%0%Exempt–
Antigua & Barbuda0%0%0%25%17%Exempt–
Bahamas0%0%0%0%12%Exempt–
Bahrain0%0%0%0%10%Exempt–
Bermuda0%0%0%0%0%Exempt–
British Virgin Islands0%0%0%0%0%Exempt–
Brunei0%0%0%18.5%0%Exempt–
Cayman Islands0%0%0%0%0%Exempt–
Kuwait0%0%0%0%0%Exempt–
Monaco0%0%0%25%20%Exempt–
Oman0 (5% from 2028)0%0%15%5%Exempt–
Qatar0%0%0%10%5%Exempt–
Saint Kitts & Nevis0%0%0%33%17%Exempt–
Turks and Caicos0%0%0%0%12%Exempt–
United Arab Emirates0%0%0%9%5%ExemptUnited Kingdom vs United Arab Emirates
Vanuatu0%0%0%0%15%Exempt–
Andorra10%10%Andorran dividends exempt / foreign 10%10%4.5%Worldwide–
Bulgaria10%10%5%10%20%Worldwide–
Paraguay10%10%5%10%10%Territorial–
Hungary15%15%15%9%27%Worldwide–
Hong Kong17%0%0%16.5%0%Territorial–
Georgia20%0%5%15%18%Territorial–
Guernsey20%0%0%0%0%Worldwide–
Jersey20%0%0%0%0%Worldwide–
Mauritius20%0%0%15%15%Worldwide–
Isle of Man21%0%0%0%20%Worldwide–
Estonia22%22%0%22%24%Worldwide–
Singapore24%0%0%17%9%Territorial–
Costa Rica25%0-15%0-15%30%13%Territorial–
Dominican Republic25%27%10% final27%18%Territorial–
Gibraltar25%0%0%12.5%0%Worldwide–
Panama25%10%10%25%7%Territorial–
Malaysia30%0%0%24%8%Territorial–
Cyprus35%20%0-5%15%19%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Cyprus
Indonesia35%Varies (final taxes)10% final / exempt if reinvested22%12%Worldwide–
Malta35%0%0-35%35%18%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Malta
Mexico35%35%10%30%16%Worldwide–
Philippines35%0-15%10%25%12%Territorial–
Thailand35%0%10%20%7%Remittance-based–
Switzerland11.5-36%0%0-35%11.9-20.5%8.1%Worldwide–
Uruguay36%0-12%12%25%22%Territorial–
United States37%0-20%0-20%21%0%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs United States
Ireland40%33%0-33%12.5%23%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Ireland
Italy43%26%26%27.8%22%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Italy
Greece44%15%5%22%24%Worldwide–
Australia45%0-45%0-45%30%10%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Australia
France45%0-34.5%12.8-34.5%25%20%Worldwide–
Germany45%0-26.375%26.375%30.06%19%Worldwide–
United KingdomThis page45%18-24%10.75-39.35%25%20%Worldwide–
Portugal48%28%28%19%23%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Portugal
Netherlands49.5%31%24.5-31%25.8%21%Worldwide–
Spain47-54%19-30%19-30%25%21%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Spain
Canada33-54.8%0-27%0-47.74%26.2-31%5%WorldwideUnited Kingdom vs Canada

Figures come from each country profile in the Tax Atlas dataset, which cites PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, tax authorities and the OECD. Ranges are compared by their upper bound. Headline rates leave out reliefs, newcomer regimes and treaty relief, so open each country page for the detail. Not tax advice: verify with a qualified adviser.

Head to head

Detailed United Kingdom comparisons

United Kingdom tax guide Compare any two countries 2026 tax cheat sheet Filtered country lists

Questions

Frequently asked

How does United Kingdom's income tax compare with other countries?+

United Kingdom's top personal income tax rate is 45%. 45 of the other 52 jurisdictions Tax Atlas tracks have a lower top rate.

Is United Kingdom's corporate tax low by international standards?+

United Kingdom's headline corporate rate is 25%. 35 of the other 52 jurisdictions have a lower headline rate. Effective rates depend on reliefs, free zones and the OECD global minimum tax for large groups.

Which countries tax foreign income the same way as United Kingdom?+

United Kingdom taxes foreign income on a worldwide basis. 25 other jurisdictions use the same basis, including Ireland, Hungary, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Estonia.

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