HK · AsiaKR · Asia
Hong Kong vs South Korea: tax rates compared
South Korea has an income tax rate of 49.5%, 32.5pp above Hong Kong's 17%. The 200-country average is 28%: Hong Kong sits below it, South Korea sits 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 | HK | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 17% | 49.5% | KR +32.5 pplargest gap |
| Corporate Tax | 16.5% | 26.4% | KR +9.9 pp |
| VAT | 0% | 10% | KR +10 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 17% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Hong Kong SAR (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −32.5 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 16.5% | 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 | −9.9 pp | South Korea higher |
South Korea has a corporate tax rate of 26.4%, 9.9pp above Hong Kong's 16.5%. The 201-country average is 22.6%: Hong Kong sits below it, South Korea sits above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Hong Kong SAR (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | −10 pp | South Korea higher |
South Korea has a VAT rate of 10%, 10pp above Hong Kong's 0%. The 181-country average is 15%: both sit below it. Hong Kong's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Korea's 2026-06-04, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Hong Kong SAR (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Hong Kong and South Korea share the same capital gains tax rate: 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit below it. Hong Kong's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Korea's 2026-07-02, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0% | Source: Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department — Departmental Interpretation and Practice Notes No. 39 (Revised): Digital Economy, Electronic Commerce and Digital Assets · as of 2020-03-01 |
| 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 |
Hong Kong and South Korea share the same crypto tax rate: 0%. The 88-country average is 13%: both sit below it. Hong Kong's figure is dated 2020-03-01 and South Korea's 2026-06-04, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Hong Kong SAR (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-31 |
| 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 |
Hong Kong and South Korea share the same wealth tax rate: 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it. Hong Kong's figure is dated 2025-12-31 and South Korea's 2026-07-02, so the two rates come from different data vintages.