DE · EuropeKR · Asia
Germany vs South Korea: tax rates compared
South Korea's income tax rate is 2pp higher than Germany's (49.5% vs 47.5%). The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.
Verified data covers six of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | DE | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 47.5% | 49.5% | KR +2 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 30.1% | 26.4% | DE +3.7 pp |
| VAT | 19% | 10% | DE +9 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 25% | 0% | DE +25 pplargest gap |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 47.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −2 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 30.1% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Korea | 26.4% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +3.7 pp | Germany higher |
Germany's corporate tax rate is 3.7pp higher than South Korea's (30.1% vs 26.4%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 19% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Germany (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-30 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | +9 pp | Germany higher |
Germany's VAT rate is 9pp higher than South Korea's (19% vs 10%). The 181-country average is 15%: Germany sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 25% | Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Germany, Individual - Income determination · as of 2026-06-30 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | +25 pp | Germany higher |
Germany's capital gains tax rate is 25pp higher than South Korea's (25% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: Germany sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 0% | Source: Bundesministerium der Finanzen — Einzelfragen zur ertragsteuerrechtlichen Behandlung von Kryptowerten (BMF-Schreiben vom 6. März 2025) · as of 2025-03-06 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Income determination — Income from virtual assets) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Germany's crypto tax rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 0%. The 88-country average is 13%: both sit below it. Germany's figure is dated 2025-03-06 and South Korea's 2026-06-04, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Germany (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-30 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Germany's wealth tax rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.