MT · EuropeKR · Asia
Malta vs South Korea: tax rates compared
Between the two, South Korea's income tax rate (49.5%) tops Malta's (35%) by 14.5pp. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. Malta's figure is dated 2026-01-01 and South Korea's 2025-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
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 | MT | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 35% | 49.5% | KR +14.5 pplargest gap |
| Corporate Tax | 35% | 26.4% | MT +8.6 pp |
| VAT | 18% | 10% | MT +8 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 35% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Malta (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-01-01 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −14.5 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 35% | 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 | +8.6 pp | Malta higher |
Between the two, Malta's corporate tax rate (35%) tops South Korea's (26.4%) by 8.6pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Malta (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-02-19 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | +8 pp | Malta higher |
Between the two, Malta's VAT rate (18%) tops South Korea's (10%) by 8pp. The 181-country average is 15%: Malta sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 0% | Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Malta (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-02-19 |
| 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 |
There's no gap here — Malta and South Korea both post a capital gains tax rate of 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit below it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 0% | Source: Malta Commissioner for Revenue — Guidelines on the Income Tax Treatment of Transactions or Arrangements Involving DLT Assets · as of 2018-11-01 |
| 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 |
There's no gap here — Malta and South Korea both post a crypto tax rate of 0%. The 88-country average is 13%: both sit below it. Malta's figure is dated 2018-11-01 and South Korea's 2026-06-04, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malta | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Net wealth/worth tax rates (quick chart) · as of 2026-02-19 |
| 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 |
There's no gap here — Malta and South Korea both post a wealth tax rate of 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.