South Korea vs Singapore taxes (2026): income, company and dividends

South Korea vs Singapore tax rates at a glance

Tax	🇰🇷 South Korea	🇸🇬 Singapore
Income tax	Up to KRW 14 million: 6% KRW 14m - 50m: 15% KRW 50m - 88m: 24% KRW 88m - 150m: 35% KRW 150m - 300m: 38% KRW 300m - 500m: 40% KRW 500m - 1bn: 42% Above KRW 1bn: 45% Local income tax: 10% of national tax Qualifying foreign-worker flat tax: 19% national	Resident income tax: 0% - 24% Non-resident income tax: 24% Employment concession: 15% or resident rates Foreign income: 0% / limited exceptions CPF employee: 20% CPF employer: 17%
Corporate tax	Up to KRW 200 million: 10% KRW 200m - 20bn: 20% KRW 20bn - 300bn: 22% Above KRW 300bn: 25% Local corporate income tax: 10% of national tax VAT: 10% Pillar Two minimum: 15%	Corporate income tax: 17% Start-up exemption: Up to S$125,000 Partial exemption: Up to S$102,500 YA 2026 rebate: 50% GST: 9% Dividend withholding tax: 0%
Capital gains tax	Major-shareholder shares up to KRW 300m: 20% national Major-shareholder shares above KRW 300m: 25% national Certain major-shareholder shares held under one year: 30% national Other private-company shares: 20% national Qualifying SME shares: 10% national Unregistered assets: 70% national Securities transaction tax: 0.05% - 0.35% Virtual-asset gains from 2027: 20% national	Capital gains tax: 0% Crypto gains tax: 0% Share gains tax: 0% Property gains tax: 0%
Dividend tax	Ordinary resident dividend: 15.4% National withholding: 14% Local income tax: 1.4% Financial income above KRW 20m: 6% - 45% national Non-resident domestic dividend: 20% national	Dividend withholding tax: 0% Domestic dividends: 0% Foreign dividends: 0% / limited cases
Wealth tax	Personal net wealth tax: 0% Housing property tax: 0.1% - 0.4% Buildings: 0.25% - 0.5% General-aggregate land: 0.2% - 0.5% Comprehensive real-estate tax on homes: 0.5% - 3.2% Standard real-estate acquisition tax: 4% Building VAT on acquisition: 10%	Net wealth tax: 0% Net worth tax: 0% Annual asset tax: 0%
Inheritance / estate tax	Inheritance-tax range: 10% - 50% Up to KRW 100m: 10% KRW 100m - 500m: 20% KRW 500m - 1bn: 30% KRW 1bn - 3bn: 40% Above KRW 3bn: 50% Basic deduction: KRW 200m Lump-sum deduction: KRW 500m Gift-tax range: 10% - 50%	Inheritance tax: 0% Estate duty: 0% Gift tax: 0% Probate tax: 0%
VAT / GST / sales tax	VAT: 10%	GST: 9%

Who wins on each tax

Personal income taxSingapore

Singapore's top resident rate is 24%, below South Korea's 45% national rate plus local income tax.

Corporate taxTie

Korea starts at 10% nationally for the first KRW 200 million and reaches 25%; Singapore is a flat 17%, so profit size and local tax decide.

Capital gains taxSingapore

Singapore generally has no personal CGT, while Korea taxes selected major-shareholder, private-company and real-estate transfers.

Dividend taxSingapore

Singapore's ordinary local-company dividends are generally tax-exempt with no WHT; Korea's common source rate is 15.4% and global taxation can apply above KRW 20 million of financial income.

Inheritance taxSingapore

Singapore has no inheritance or estate duty; South Korea's inheritance tax ranges from 10% to 50% after deductions.

The verdict

Singapore's resident personal rate tops at 24%, while South Korea's national scale reaches 45% plus local income tax. Singapore corporate tax is a flat 17%; Korea starts at 10% nationally but reaches 25% at the top plus local tax.

Singapore generally has no personal CGT and no tax on ordinary Singapore-company dividends. Korea can tax major-shareholder and private-company gains and commonly withholds 15.4% on dividends before possible global taxation.

Choose Singapore for a regional HQ, investor or founder profile with real substance; choose Korea for Korea-based operations, staff and customers. Residence, financial-income thresholds, CFC and treaty rules remain important.

How to read this comparison

Singapore is usually the lower-tax regional base; South Korea is often the better choice when the operating substance, workforce and customers are Korean.

Frequently asked questions

Is Singapore or South Korea lower tax?

Singapore is usually lower for regional personal income, dividends and investment gains. Korea can be commercially stronger for a Korea-centred business and starts at a lower corporate band for smaller taxable bases.

Does South Korea tax dividends globally?

Residents generally enter global taxation when combined interest and dividend income exceeds KRW 20 million, while ordinary withholding is commonly 15.4%. The taxpayer's status and treaty position matter.