Bahrain vs Malaysia
Tax Rate Comparison
Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.
๐ฐ Personal Income Tax Calculator
Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country โ side by side.
๐ง๐ญ Bahrain โ Municipal Fees & Levies
Bahrain has no income tax on individuals and no corporate income tax for most businesses outside the oil sector. Municipalities collect fees for commercial registrations and services. Bahrain introduced VAT at 5% in 2019, raised to 10% in 2022. Social insurance is administered by the Social Insurance Organization (SIO). Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 aims to diversify from oil. The country is a regional financial hub and attracts holding companies due to its zero-tax environment for most activities.
๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia โ State & Local Authority Taxes
Malaysia's 13 states and 3 federal territories have limited independent taxing powers. States levy quit rent (cukai tanah) on land, assessment rates (cukai pintu/taksiran) on property through local councils, and royalties on natural resources. Petroleum royalties are a major state revenue in Sabah, Sarawak, and Terengganu. Local councils (majlis perbandaran) levy property assessment at 6%โ12% of estimated annual rental value. No state income taxes exist โ this is federal.
Bahrain vs Malaysia: Key Tax Differences (2026)
๐ฐ Income Tax: ๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia has a higher top income tax rate (0% vs 0โ30%). ๐ง๐ญ Bahrain is more favourable for high earners.
๐ VAT/Sales Tax: Both countries have comparable consumption tax rates (10% vs 10%).
๐ข Corporate Tax: ๐ง๐ญ Bahrain offers a lower corporate rate (0% vs 24%), which can influence business location decisions.
๐ Capital Gains: ๐ง๐ญ Bahrain taxes investment gains at a lower rate (0% vs 30%), benefiting investors.