ZA · AfricaGB · Europe
South Africa vs United Kingdom: tax rates compared
South Africa's income tax rate is identical to United Kingdom's — both sit at 45%. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-03-01 and United Kingdom'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 | GB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 45% | match |
| Corporate Tax | 27% | 25% | ZA +2 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 20% | GB +5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 18% | 24% | GB +6 pplargest gap |
| Crypto Tax | 18% | 24% | GB +6 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 Kingdom | 45% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| United Kingdom | 25% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +2 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's corporate tax rate is 2pp higher than United Kingdom's (27% vs 25%). 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 |
| United Kingdom | 20% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Kingdom (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-24 |
| Difference | −5 pp | United Kingdom higher |
United Kingdom's VAT rate is 5pp higher than South Africa's (20% vs 15%). The 181-country average is 15%: South Africa matches the world average, United Kingdom sits above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and United Kingdom's 2025-12-24, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
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 Kingdom | 24% | Source: GOV.UK (HMRC) — Capital Gains Tax: rates · as of 2024-10-30 |
| Difference | −6 pp | United Kingdom higher |
United Kingdom's capital gains tax rate is 6pp higher than South Africa's (24% vs 18%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and United Kingdom's 2024-10-30, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: South African Revenue Service — Crypto Assets & Tax · as of 2026-03-20 |
| United Kingdom | 24% | Source: GOV.UK (HMRC) — Check if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets · as of 2025-05-29 |
| Difference | −6 pp | United Kingdom higher |
United Kingdom's crypto tax rate is 6pp higher than South Africa's (24% vs 18%). The 88-country average is 13%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-03-20 and United Kingdom's 2025-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| United Kingdom | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Kingdom (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-24 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
South Africa's wealth tax rate is identical to United Kingdom's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and United Kingdom's 2025-12-24, so the two rates come from different data vintages.