PW · OceaniaKR · Asia
Palau vs South Korea: tax rates compared
South Korea's income tax rate is 37.5pp higher than Palau's (49.5% vs 12%). The 200-country average is 28%: Palau sits below it, South Korea sits above it. Palau's figure is dated 2026-07-20 and South Korea's 2025-01-01, 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 | PW | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 12% | 49.5% | KR +37.5 pplargest gap |
| VAT | 10% | 10% | match |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palau | 12% | Source: Government of Palau — Bureau of Revenue and Taxation, Wages and Salary Tax · as of 2026-07-20 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −37.5 pp | South Korea higher |
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palau | 10% | Source: Palau Bureau of Revenue & Taxation — Palau Goods and Services Tax (PGST) · as of 2023-01-01 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Palau's VAT rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 10%. The 181-country average is 15%: both sit below it. Palau's figure is dated 2023-01-01 and South Korea's 2026-06-04, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palau | 0% | Source: Government of Palau — Ministry of Finance, Bureau of Revenue and Taxation · as of 2026-07-19 |
| 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 |
Palau's capital gains tax rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit below it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palau | 0% | Source: Government of Palau — Ministry of Finance, Bureau of Revenue and Taxation · as of 2026-07-19 |
| 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 |
Palau's crypto tax rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 0%. The 88-country average is 13%: both sit below it.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Palau | 0% | Source: Palau National Code, Title 40 (Revenue and Taxation) — official text · as of 2026-07-18 |
| 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 |
Palau'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.
Not covered for both countries yet: Corporate Tax.