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China vs South Africa: tax rates compared
China and South Africa share the same income tax rate: 45%. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. China's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Africa's 2026-03-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Verified data covers five of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | CN | ZA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 45% | match |
| Corporate Tax | 25% | 27% | ZA +2 pp |
| VAT | 13% | 15% | ZA +2 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 18% | ZA +18 pplargest gap |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — China, People's Republic of (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | 25% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −2 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a corporate tax rate of 27%, 2pp above China's 25%. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | 13% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — China, People's Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | −2 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a VAT rate of 15%, 2pp above China's 13%. The 181-country average is 15%: China sits below it, South Africa matches the world average. China's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Africa's 2026-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0% | Source: State Taxation Administration Shanxi Provincial Tax Service — Caishuizi [1998] No. 61 (财税字〔1998〕61号) · as of 1998-03-30 |
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | −18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a capital gains tax rate of 18%, 18pp above China's 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: China sits below it, South Africa sits above it. China's figure is dated 1998-03-30 and South Africa's 2026-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — China, People's Republic of (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
China and South Africa share the same wealth tax rate: 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it. China's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Africa's 2026-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.