Personal Income Tax Rates

The OECD defines tax as a compulsory unrequited payment to the government. A taxable base is the base amount on which the tax rate is applied—such as corporate income, personal income, or property.


One commonly used tool for comparing taxation levels across different countries is the marginal tax rate, which is simply the rate on the highest income tax bracket. In 2014, Aruba had the world’s highest top marginal rate, 59%, followed by Sweden, 57%, and Denmark, 55.6%. At the other end of the spectrum, besides a handful of countries that do not have personal income taxes, Guatemala showed the lowest top marginal rate, 7%.

There are many ways to compare the tax burden that different countries place on their citizens—for example, the lowest income tax rate in a country, the highest income tax rate, corporate tax rates, marginal tax rate thresholds, the highest or lowest tax wedge, and so on. However, comparing tax rates can be difficult, given complex tax laws and the varying perception of what constitutes a high tax burden by different groups within an economy. Which is why the marginal tax rate is often used as a common denominator.

The OECD defines it as the tax rate applicable to the top slice or bracket of a taxpayer’s income or other taxable income, where the relevant tax on such items is levied at progressive rates.

In general, tax regimes may be progressive—where tax rates increase as the taxable base increases—regressive—where the tax rate decreases as the taxable base increases—or proportional (also called a flat tax rate)—where the tax rate stays the same regardless of the size of taxable base. A tax system may use different taxation methods for different types of income—for example, a progressive tax for income tax and a flat tax for sales tax.

Many countries now use aspects of progressive tax—in particular as a taxation method for individual income tax. The US, for example, uses a progressive tax regime for taxing individual wage income.

For the 17 years from 1965-1981, the top individual marginal tax rate for American taxpayers was 70%—double the 35% top rate for 2010 (Source: Internal Revenue Service, BTN Research). After a tax increase in 2012, which brought it to about 40%, the US now has the highest marginal rate among NAFTA partners, versus Mexico’s 30% and Canada’s 29%.


According to October 2014 data from KPMG’s Individual Income Tax Rates table, top personal income rates across the world steadily declined from 2003 to 2009, rose, on average, in 2010, fell again in 2011, albeit slightly, and inched back up starting in 2012 as a lingering economic crisis did not help abate governments’ concerns over ballooning deficits.

KPMG’s Individual Income Tax Rates(Values express in percentage)

Country
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Afghanistan 20 20 20 20 20 20 20   20  
Albania   25 10 10 10 10 10 10 23 23
Algeria               35 35 35
Angola 15 15 15 15 17 17 17 17 17 17
Anguilla               0 0 0
Antigua and Barbuda               25 25 25
Argentina 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
Armenia 20 20 20 20 20 20 25 25 36 36
Aruba 60.06 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95 58.95
Australia 47 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
Austria 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50
Bahamas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bahrain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bangladesh 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 30 30
Barbados             35 35 35 35
Belarus               12 12 13
Belgium 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50
Bermuda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba                    
Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Botswana 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25
Brazil 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5 27.5
Brunei Darussalam                   0
Bulgaria 24 24 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Canada 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29
Cayman Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chile 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
China 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
Colombia 38.5 34 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
Congo                 30 30
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)               30 30  
Costa Rica 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Croatia 45 45 45 45 40 40 40 40 40 40
Curacao               49 49 48.25
Cyprus 30 30 30 30 30 35 35 35 35 35
Czech Republic 32 32 15 15 15 15 15 22 22 22
Denmark 59 59 62.28 62.28 55.38 55.38 55.38 55.38 55.56 55.41
Dominican Republic               25 25 25
Ecuador 25 25 35 35 35 35 35 35    
Egypt 34 20 20 20 20 20 20 25 25 22
El Salvador               30 30 30
Estonia     21 21 21 21 21 21 21 20
Fiji 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 20 20 20
Finland 51.4 51 50.7 49.8 49.6 49.17 49 49 49 52.35
France 40 40 40 40 41 41 45 45 45 45
Georgia 12 12 25 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Germany 42 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
Gibraltar 42 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40  
Greece 40 40 40 40 45 45 45 42 42 42
Guatemala 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 7 7 7
Guernsey 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Honduras 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25
Hong Kong SAR 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Hungary 36 36 36 36 32 16 16 16 16 16
Iceland 36.7 35.7 35.7 37.2 46.12 46.21 46.24 46.24 46.24 46.24
India 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 33.99 33.99 33.99
Indonesia 35 35 35 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
Ireland 42 41 41 46 47 48 48 48 48 48
Isle of Man 18 18 18 18 20 20 20 20 20 20
Israel 49 48 47 46 45 45 48 50 50 50
Italy 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43
Jamaica 25 25 25 25 35 25 25 25 25 25
Japan 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50.84 50.84 50.84
Jersey 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Jordan 25 25 25 25 25 14 14 14 14 14
Kazakhstan 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Kenya             30 30 30 30
Korea, Republic of 35 35 35 35 35 35 38 38 38 38
Kuwait 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Latvia 25 25 25 23 26 25 25 24 24 23
Lebanon               20 20  
Lithuania 33 27 24 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Luxembourg 39 39 39 39 39 42 41.34 41.34 41.34 43.6
Macau 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
Macedonia               10 10 10
Malawi 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30  
Malaysia 28 28 28 27 26 26 26 26 26 25
Malta 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
Mauritius 30 22.5 15 15 15 15 15 15 15  
Mexico 29 28 28 28 30 30 30 30 30 35
Moldova                 18 18
Mongolia               10 10 10
Montenegro               9 9 9
Morocco               38 38 38
Mozambique 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32  
Myanmar               20 20 20
Namibia               37 37 37
Netherlands 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52 52
Netherlands Antilles               49 49  
New Zealand 39 39 39 38 35.5 33 33 33 33 33
Nicaragua       30 30 30 30 30 30 30
Nigeria           24 24 24 24 24
Norway 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.8 47.2
Oman 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pakistan 30 20 20 20 20 20 20 20    
Palestinian Territory                    
Panama 27 27 27 27 25 25 25 25 25  
Papua New Guinea 45 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42 42
Paraguay                    
Peru 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
Philippines 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
Poland 40 40 40 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
Portugal 42 42 42 42 45.88 46.5 46.5 48 48 48
Puerto Rico               33 33 33
Qatar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Romania 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16
Russia 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
Samoa               27 27  
Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0      
Senegal               50 50  
Serbia 10 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Sierra Leone               30 30  
Singapore 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)               47.5 47.5 47.5
Slovakia 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 25 25 25
Slovenia 50 41 41 41 41 41 41 50 50 50
South Africa 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
Spain 45 43 43 43 43 45 52 52 52 47
Sri Lanka               24 24 24
Sudan 20 20 15 15 15 15 15 15    
Swaziland               33 33  
Sweden 56.82 56.77 56.66 56.74 56.56 56.55 56.6 57 57 57
Switzerland 40.4 40.4 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
Syria 20 20 20 20 22 22 22 22 22 22
Taiwan 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 45
Tanzania 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30  
Thailand 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 35 35 35
Trinidad and Tobago               25 25 25
Tunisia 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
Turkey 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
Uganda       30 30 30 40 40 40 40
Ukraine 13 15 15 15 15 17 17 17 17 20
United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
United Kingdom 40 40 40 40 50 50 50 45 45 45
United States 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 39.6 39.6 39.6
Uruguay 0 25 25 25 25 25 30 30 30 30
Venezuela 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34
Vietnam 40 40 40 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
Yemen 20 20 20 20 20 15 15 15 15 15
Zambia               35 35 35
Zimbabwe 36.05 48.93 48.93 36.05 36.05 36.05 46.35 45 45 51.5
Africa average 29.73 28.95 27.81 26.92 27.09 26.85 28.53 31.41 32.09 32.82
Americas average 31.63 30.85 31.38 31.3 31.86 31.3 31.76 31.48 31.34 31.78
Asia average 29.04 28.2 28.64 27.96 27.96 27.52 27.96 27.07 27.64 28.38
Europe average 35.62 35.04 33.49 33.15 33.62 33.4 33.66 32.74 32.7 32.19
Oceania average 40.5 39.25 39.25 39 38.38 37.75 37.75 33.4 33.4 35
North America average 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 34.3 34.3 34.3
Latin America average 31.58 30.7 31.3 31.22 31.84 31.22 31.73 31.25 31.08 31.55
EU average 39.9 39.32 37.56 37.03 37.3 37.09 37.46 38.37 38.38 37.94
OECD average 41.88 41.44 40.39 40.26 40.76 40.4 40.88 41.78 41.78 41.68
Global average 32.68 31.96 31.44 30.96 31.25 30.85 31.34 30.99 31.2 31.38

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