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South Korea vs Panama
Tax Rate Comparison

Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea
vs
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama
Tax Year:

๐Ÿ’ฐ Personal Income Tax Calculator

Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country โ€” side by side.

Enter your annual income above to see your personal tax comparison โ†’
Individual Income Tax (Top Marginal Rate)
Top Income Tax Rate
6โ€“45%
Stable; political debate on top rate reduction
No change
0โ€“25%
Territorial system; no plans to change
No change
VAT / GST / Sales Tax
VAT / GST / Sales Tax
10%
Standard 10% maintained
No change
7%
7% maintained
No change
Corporate Tax Rate
Corporate Tax Rate
9โ€“24%
Competitiveness discussions vs global peers
No change
25%
25% standard; Panama removed from grey lists
No change
Capital Gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax
0โ€“45%
Financial income taxation reform continuing
No change
10%
10% CGT maintained
No change
Social Security & Payroll
Social Security / Payroll
~18.5%
Contribution rates stable; pension reform discussion
No change
~22.1%
CSS pension reform implementation
No change
State, Regional & Local Taxes

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea โ€” Local Income Tax & Resident Tax

South Korea's 17 metropolitan/provincial governments levy local income tax at 10% of national income tax. Property holding tax (Jongbu-se) is a national progressive tax on higher-value properties. Local education taxes and acquisition taxes apply to property transfers. Seoul has higher effective rates due to property values.

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama โ€” Municipal & Corregimiento Taxes

Panama's 10 provinces and 81 districts have municipalities that levy commercial licence fees (Tasa Unica), property tax (impuesto de inmuebles at 0%โ€“2.1%), and service fees. Panama City has the highest commercial licence fees. Panama uses a territorial tax system โ€” income earned outside Panama is not taxed. This has made Panama a significant financial and trading hub. The Colรณn Free Zone is the world's second largest free trade zone. Panama is working to exit FATF grey lists and improve tax transparency.

โš ๏ธ Disclaimer: Rates shown are standard top/headline rates for informational purposes. Actual tax liability depends on income level, residency, deductions, and tax treaties. 2025โ€“2026 data reflects announced or enacted rates and may be subject to change. Not financial or legal advice.

South Korea vs Panama: Key Tax Differences (2026)

๐Ÿ’ฐ Income Tax: ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea has a higher top income tax rate (6โ€“45% vs 0โ€“25%). ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama is more favourable for high earners.

๐Ÿ›’ VAT/Sales Tax: South Korea has a higher consumption tax (10% vs 7%).

๐Ÿข Corporate Tax: ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea offers a lower corporate rate (24% vs 25%), which can influence business location decisions.

๐Ÿ“ˆ Capital Gains: ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama taxes investment gains at a lower rate (10% vs 45%), benefiting investors.

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