Tax Destination Comparison Calculator
Compare up to 5 countries side-by-side across income tax, CGT, social security, wealth tax, and cost of living. Find the destination that maximises your net annual saving — ranked and benchmarked against your current UK or US tax burden.
Your Income Profile
Dividends, rental, interest.
For wealth tax calculations.
Adjusted by destination's cost of living index.
Compare Destinations (5/5)
🇬🇧 UK Baseline
Annual tax burden
£51,986
Effective rate
37.1%
Annual spend
£50,000
Destination Comparison (Ranked by Net Annual Saving)
| Destination | Income Tax | CGT | Social Sec. | Total Tax | Rate | COL Spend | Net Saving | Visa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1🇦🇪 UAE 0% income & CGT. Requires UAE resident v… | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | 0.0% | £52,500 | +£49,486 | low |
2🇲🇹 Malta Non-dom remittance basis. 15% on remitte… | £21,000 | £0 | £14,000 | £35,000 | 25.0% | £40,000 | +£26,986 | low |
3🇵🇹 Portugal IFICI (successor to NHR): 20% flat for 1… | £28,000 | £4,200 | £15,400 | £47,600 | 34.0% | £37,500 | +£16,886 | low |
4🇸🇬 Singapore Territorial. No CGT. CPF (mandatory savi… | £23,800 | £0 | £28,000 | £51,800 | 37.0% | £57,500 | -£7,314 | medium |
5🇨🇭 Switzerland Lump-sum tax (forfait) based on living e… | £16,800 | £0 | £7,420 | £29,220 | 20.9% | £82,500 | -£9,734 | medium |
Key Rates by Destination
🇦🇪 UAE
Middle East
0%
0%
5%
105%
low difficulty
0% income & CGT. Requires UAE resident visa. 5% VAT introduced 2018.
🇲🇹 Malta
Europe
15%
0%
18%
80%
low difficulty
Non-dom remittance basis. 15% on remitted income, min €15k pa.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Europe
20%
28%
23%
75%
low difficulty
IFICI (successor to NHR): 20% flat for 10 years on qualifying income.
🇸🇬 Singapore
Asia-Pacific
17%
0%
9%
115%
medium difficulty
Territorial. No CGT. CPF (mandatory saving) for citizens/PRs only.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Europe
12%
0%
8.1%
165%
medium difficulty
Lump-sum tax (forfait) based on living expenses. Cantonal variation.
💡 Costs not captured by the cost-of-living index
- Private health insurance — varies hugely by destination and age, and can be the largest line item after rent. Most destinations above offer no free public healthcare to foreign residents.
- International school fees if you have children — most destinations don't offer free schooling to non-citizens; £10,000–£30,000+ per child per year is typical.
- Life, income protection, or critical illness insurance that may not transfer, or may need replacing, once you relocate.
- The recurring cost of flights and accommodation to visit family back home.
- Limits on how many days you can spend in your home country each year without jeopardising your non-resident tax status (for the UK, as few as 45 days if you retain ties).
⚖️ Simplified comparison tool — not tax advice
Tax rates are simplified flat equivalents for illustration. Actual rates depend on domicile, residency status, income composition, available deductions, tax treaties, and local rules. Cost-of-living indices are indicative benchmarks. Always take professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before relocating.
Frequently asked questions
How does the comparison work?
Enter your gross earned income, passive income, annual capital gains, net worth, and annual spend. Then select up to 5 destination countries to compare. For each destination, the calculator estimates the total annual tax burden (income tax + social security + CGT + wealth tax) and adjusts your annual spend by the destination's cost-of-living index. The net annual saving is the difference between your current home-country tax burden and costs versus the destination total.
Are the tax rates accurate?
The rates are simplified flat equivalents designed for high-level comparison, not precise tax calculations. Real-world tax is significantly more complex — rates depend on income composition, available deductions, applicable treaties, local registration requirements, and special regimes. For example, Portugal's IFICI rate (20%) only applies to qualifying income under the scheme, while Switzerland's forfait (lump-sum) tax is assessed on living expenses, not gross income. Always verify with a qualified international tax advisor.
What is the cost-of-living index?
The cost-of-living (COL) index is a relative measure comparing the overall cost of living in a destination country versus the UK (index 1.0). A COL index of 0.75 (e.g., Portugal) means living costs are approximately 25% lower than the UK. An index of 2.5 (Monaco) means living is 2.5× more expensive. Your stated annual lifestyle spend is multiplied by this index to give an adjusted COL figure for each destination, which feeds into the net annual saving calculation.
What is visa difficulty?
Visa difficulty indicates how accessible a country is for long-term residency. "Low" means residency is relatively straightforward (e.g., UAE freelancer visa, Portugal D7 visa, Georgia residency). "Medium" means there are meaningful requirements — typically a minimum investment, demonstrated income, or controlled allocation (e.g., Singapore EP, Channel Islands Control of Housing). "High" means residency is exceptionally difficult or expensive (e.g., Monaco — property ownership often required and availability is very limited). These are simplified assessments.
Does the calculator account for double tax treaties?
No — treaty relief is not modelled. Tax treaties between your home country and destination can significantly reduce withholding tax on dividends, reduce or eliminate CGT, and affect the treatment of pensions. For example, the UK-UAE treaty means UK pension income paid to a UAE resident is generally taxed at source in the UK. Similarly, the US has TOTALIZATION agreements (similar to social security treaties) with many countries that prevent double social security contributions. Treaty analysis requires individual professional advice.