KR · AsiaUS · Americas
South Korea vs United States: tax rates compared
Between the two, South Korea's income tax rate (49.5%) tops United States's (43.7%) by 5.8pp. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.
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 | KR | US | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 49.5% | 43.7% | KR +5.8 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 26.4% | 25.6% | KR +0.8 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 20% | US +20 pplargest gap |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 20% | US +20 pp |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| United States | 43.7% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +5.8 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 26.4% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| United States | 25.6% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +0.8 pp | South Korea higher |
Between the two, South Korea's corporate tax rate (26.4%) tops United States's (25.6%) by 0.8pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| United States | 20% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United States (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −20 pp | United States higher |
Between the two, United States's capital gains tax rate (20%) tops South Korea's (0%) by 20pp. The 175-country average is 10.3%: South Korea sits below it, United States sits above it. South Korea's figure is dated 2026-07-02 and United States's 2025-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Income determination — Income from virtual assets) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| United States | 20% | Source: IRS Publication 550 (2025), Investment Income and Expenses · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −20 pp | United States higher |
Between the two, United States's crypto tax rate (20%) tops South Korea's (0%) by 20pp. The 88-country average is 13%: South Korea sits below it, United States sits above it. South Korea's figure is dated 2026-06-04 and United States's 2025-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| United States | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United States (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-03-18 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
There's no gap here — South Korea and United States 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: VAT.