ZA · AfricaKR · Asia
South Africa vs South Korea: tax rates compared
South Korea's income tax rate is 4.5pp higher than South Africa's (49.5% vs 45%). The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-03-01 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 | ZA | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 49.5% | KR +4.5 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 27% | 26.4% | ZA +0.6 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 10% | ZA +5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 18% | 0% | ZA +18 pplargest gap |
| Crypto Tax | 18% | 0% | ZA +18 pp |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −4.5 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 27% | 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 | +0.6 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's corporate tax rate is 0.6pp higher than South Korea's (27% vs 26.4%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | +5 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's VAT rate is 5pp higher than South Korea's (15% vs 10%). The 181-country average is 15%: South Africa matches the world average, South Korea sits below it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's capital gains tax rate is 18pp higher than South Korea's (18% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: South Africa sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: South African Revenue Service — Crypto Assets & Tax · as of 2026-03-20 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Income determination — Income from virtual assets) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's crypto tax rate is 18pp higher than South Korea's (18% vs 0%). The 88-country average is 13%: South Africa sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| 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 |
South Africa'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.