ZA · AfricaAE · Asia
South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: tax rates compared
South Africa has an income tax rate of 45%, 45pp above United Arab Emirates's 0%. The 200-country average is 28%: South Africa sits above it, United Arab Emirates sits below 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 | ZA | AE | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 0% | ZA +45 pplargest gap |
| Corporate Tax | 27% | 9% | ZA +18 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 5% | ZA +10 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 18% | 0% | ZA +18 pp |
| 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 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Arab Emirates (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-12 |
| Difference | +45 pp | South Africa higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a corporate tax rate of 27%, 18pp above United Arab Emirates's 9%. The 201-country average is 22.6%: South Africa sits above it, United Arab Emirates sits below it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Arab Emirates (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-03-12 |
| Difference | +10 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a VAT rate of 15%, 10pp above United Arab Emirates's 5%. The 181-country average is 15%: South Africa matches the world average, United Arab Emirates 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 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Arab Emirates (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-03-12 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a capital gains tax rate of 18%, 18pp above United Arab Emirates's 0%. The 175-country average is 10.3%: South Africa sits above it, United Arab Emirates sits below it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: South African Revenue Service — Crypto Assets & Tax · as of 2026-03-20 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Arab Emirates (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-03-12 |
| Difference | +18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa has a crypto tax rate of 18%, 18pp above United Arab Emirates's 0%. The 88-country average is 13%: South Africa sits above it, United Arab Emirates 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 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Arab Emirates (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-03-12 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
South Africa and United Arab Emirates share the same wealth tax rate: 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.