KR · AsiaTO · Oceania

South Korea vs Tonga: tax rates compared

Between the two, South Korea's income tax rate (49.5%) tops Tonga's (25%) by 24.5pp. The 200-country average is 28%: South Korea sits above it, Tonga sits below it. South Korea's figure is dated 2025-01-01 and Tonga's 2021-07-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.

Verified data covers four of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.

At a glance

0102030405060Income25%49.5%Corporate25%26.4%VAT10%15%Wealth Tax0%
four shared taxes, side by side
Tax KR TODifference
Income Tax49.5%25%KR +24.5 pplargest gap
Corporate Tax26.4%25%KR +1.4 pp
VAT10%15%TO +5 pp
Wealth Tax0%0%match

Income Tax

Income Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
South Korea49.5%Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01
Tonga25%Source: Ministry of Revenue & Customs, Government of Tonga — Individual Employee · as of 2021-07-01
Difference+24.5 ppSouth Korea higher

Corporate Tax

Corporate Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
South Korea26.4%Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01
Tonga25%Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01
Difference+1.4 ppSouth Korea higher

Between the two, South Korea's corporate tax rate (26.4%) tops Tonga's (25%) by 1.4pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.

VAT

VAT, side by side
CountryRateSource
South Korea10%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04
Tonga15%Source: Consumption Tax Act (CAP 26.02, 2016 Revised Edition), Kingdom of Tonga · as of 2010-11-24
Difference−5 ppTonga higher

Between the two, Tonga's VAT rate (15%) tops South Korea's (10%) by 5pp. The 181-country average is 15%: South Korea sits below it, Tonga matches the world average. South Korea's figure is dated 2026-06-04 and Tonga's 2010-11-24, so the two rates come from different data vintages.

Wealth Tax

Wealth Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
South Korea0%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-07-02
Tonga0%Source: Tonga Ministry of Revenue & Customs — Tax Legislations (official index) · as of 2026-07-18
Difference0 ppdisplayed rates match

There's no gap here — South Korea and Tonga both post a wealth tax rate of 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.

Not covered for both countries yet: Capital Gains Tax, Crypto Tax.