Best countries for investors 2026: tax ranked

The best countries for investors on tax in 2026 are the ones that don't tax a portfolio at all. The Bahamas, the UAE, Bahrain, Georgia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Singapore, Guatemala and Hong Kong all charge 0% on a US$1 million portfolio earning 4% income and 4% realised gains, and 49 countries in total come out at 0%.

We rated all 153 countries TaxPilot covers on the same example. 49 are Excellent (your portfolio is untaxed) and 53 are Good (15% or less of the return). At the other end, nine countries are Poor, mostly because of a wealth tax or rates above 30%.

This guide ranks every Excellent and Good country by the all-in cost on that portfolio, explains the top ten, lists the regimes for new residents that make some high-tax countries look cheap, and shows where a wealth tax changes the picture. Figures are for the 2026 tax year.

What's changed: Turkey's article 20/D, added by Law No. 7582 on 4 June 2026, exempts foreign income for 20 years for people who become resident from 1 January 2026. Uruguay's Law 20.446 brought a new 11-year tax holiday from 1 January 2026, with 12% on foreign capital income for everyone else, and closed the permanent 7% option. In Puerto Rico, Act 38-2026 keeps 0% until the end of 2035 for investor decrees applied for by 31 December 2026; later applications pay 4%. Sri Lanka made investor visa holders non-resident from 2025/26. Malaysia extended its foreign income exemption to 31 December 2036. Oman's Personal Income Tax Law starts on 1 January 2028. In France the flat tax on investment income rose from 30% to 31.4%.

📋 Best countries for investors in 2026: top 20

The graphic shows the eight best countries for investors in 2026: the Bahamas, the UAE, Bahrain, Georgia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Singapore. Each pays 0% all-in on a US$1m portfolio earning 4% income and 4% realised gains, and each is rated Excellent.

How we compare countries for investors

Every country is tested on the same portfolio: US$1 million that earns 4% income (US$40,000 of dividends and interest) and 4% realised gains (US$40,000). The all-in rate is the tax plus any compulsory social security or health contributions on that US$80,000, as a share of it. It assumes you're tax resident there under 2026 rules.

The ratings are relative to the 153 countries we cover:

• Excellent: your portfolio is untaxed

• Good: 15% or less

• Moderate: over 15%, up to 30%

• Poor: over 30%

Each band includes its upper limit, so exactly 15% is Good. Health contributions count too, so a country that charges a flat health premium on a portfolio is Good, not Excellent, even when no income tax is due.

Pensioner and investor regimes for new residents count, as long as an ordinary investor can use them, and they're counted the same way in every country. A wealth tax that reaches the portfolio moves the rating down one level. An exit tax is mentioned but not scored, and a benefit that ends within five years is flagged but doesn't change the rating. Ties are listed by each country's TaxPilot Tax Index score.

Which countries are best for investors on tax?

The top ten all charge 0% on the portfolio. Some have no income tax at all; others only tax income from inside the country. What separates them is how you get the right to live there.

1. Bahamas

The Bahamas doesn't tax dividends, interest or capital gains, wherever they come from, and there's no inheritance or wealth tax. The main tax you'll notice is VAT at 10%.

There's no tax residence test, so it's about your permit: BEATS, annual residence or permanent residence. The BEATS permit costs US$1,025 for a year and can be renewed up to three years. Leaving is a clean break in the Bahamas, but check your home country's rules.

👉 Government of The Bahamas: FAQs, including the taxes investors are free from

👉 Bahamas expat tax guide

2. UAE

Individuals pay no tax on dividends, interest or capital gains in the UAE. Getting in is easy: 90 days with a residence visa and a home or job, or 183 days.

The catch is paperwork. A tax residency certificate for treaty purposes needs 183 days, and the Federal Tax Authority's portal now flags applications with fewer. Without a registered will, local inheritance rules can apply to UAE assets.

👉 Federal Tax Authority: UAE tax guidance

👉 UAE expat tax guide

3. Bahrain

Bahrain has no personal income tax, so dividends, interest and gains are untaxed at home or abroad. There's no wealth tax and no inheritance tax, and VAT is 10%.

There's no tax residence test, but a certificate of residence needs 183 days in the year. The practical routes for an investor are your own company or Golden Residency, for example by owning property worth at least BD 130,000 (about US$346,000).

👉 National Bureau for Revenue: Bahrain's tax treaty network

👉 Bahrain expat tax guide

4. Georgia

Georgia doesn't tax foreign dividends, interest or gains. Georgian dividends and interest pay 5%, and gains on assets held for more than two years are exempt.

You become resident after 183 days in any 12 months, and many nationalities can stay a full year without a visa. There's no wealth tax, though property you own can be taxed at up to 1% a year.

👉 Tax Code of Georgia: exempt income (Article 82) and Georgian-source income (Article 104)

👉 Georgia expat tax guide

5. Qatar

Bank interest and gains on property and securities are exempt for individuals without a taxable activity. Foreign dividends aren't Qatari-source income, and most Qatari dividends are exempt.

The catch is the visa. There's no retirement or nomad visa, so most investors would use the property route: QAR 730,000 (about US$200,000) gives a sponsor-free residence permit, as long as you spend 90 days a year in Qatar.

👉 General Tax Authority: income tax, withholding tax and capital gains tax

👉 Qatar expat tax guide

6. Kuwait

Kuwait doesn't tax individuals' income of any kind, so dividends, interest and capital gains are untaxed wherever they come from. There's no inheritance or wealth tax, and no exit tax or final return when you leave.

The catches are the visa and treaties. A long stay needs a residence permit, usually with a sponsor. The residence for people who prove a source of income has a fixed fee of KD 500, but a sponsor still has to sign. And Kuwait's treaties with the UK and Canada only count Kuwaiti nationals as Kuwaiti residents, so they won't help a British or Canadian expat show they've left home.

👉 Kuwait Ministry of Finance: Income Tax Decree, Law No. 2 of 2008 and Executive Bylaw

👉 Kuwait expat tax guide

7. Oman

Oman doesn't tax dividends, interest or capital gains in 2026. The Personal Income Tax Law (Royal Decree 56/2025) starts on 1 January 2028, and from then investment income counts towards the OMR 42,000 threshold. Our US$80,000 of yearly return, about OMR 30,760, stays under it.

From 2028 you'll also need to file a return at least 60 days before you leave. For residence, the 10-year Golden Residency starts from OMR 200,000.

👉 Oman Tax Authority: Personal Income Tax FAQs

👉 Oman expat tax guide

8. Singapore

Singapore doesn't tax individuals on gains from selling shares, dividends from Singapore companies, foreign dividends, interest from approved banks or foreign-sourced interest. Foreign income you receive in Singapore is generally exempt, and estate duty was removed in 2008.

The catch is the right to stay. There's no retirement or digital nomad visa: an Employment Pass needs a sponsoring employer in Singapore, and the pass that lets you work freely needs a salary of S$30,000 a month. A foreigner buying a home generally pays 60% Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty.

👉 IRAS: income received from overseas

👉 Singapore expat tax guide

9. Guatemala

Guatemala only taxes income from Guatemala. Dividends, interest and gains from a portfolio held outside the country aren't Guatemalan-source, so they aren't taxed. Local capital income and gains are taxed, mostly at 10%.

You're resident after more than 183 days in the calendar year. There's no wealth tax and, since April 2026, no inheritance tax: Decreto 6-2026 repealed the old inheritance, legacy and gift tax law.

👉 SAT: the 10% tax on capital income and capital gains (in Spanish)

👉 Guatemala expat tax guide

10. Hong Kong

Hong Kong doesn't tax individuals on dividends, interest or capital gains, and there's no estate duty. Its tax system is territorial, so foreign investment income sits outside the charge.

The catch is getting in. There's no digital nomad visa, and the Top Talent Pass Scheme is aimed at graduates of leading universities and high earners. Treaty residence comes after 180 days in a year.

👉 IRD guidance: the territorial source principle of taxation

👉 Hong Kong expat tax guide

Which countries tax investors lightly?

Just outside the 0% group are countries with a small bill, often a health contribution rather than tax:

• Taiwan (0.4%, Good): foreign income falls well under the NT$7.5 million minimum tax floor, so no income tax is due. The flat NHI health premium of NT$826 a month is the only cost, which is why it's Good rather than Excellent.

• Luxembourg (0.6%, Good): half of qualifying dividends is exempt, and gains on shares held over six months aren't taxed for holdings of 10% or less.

• Cyprus (1.3%, Good): non-doms pay no tax on dividends, interest or gains on shares, just the 2.65% health contribution on dividends and interest.

• Kenya (1.4%, Good): foreign investment income is outside Kenyan tax; the 2.75% SHIF contribution is the only cost.

• USA (2.7%, Good): on qualified dividends and long-term gains, single, in Florida. About 6% if the income is interest.

• Vietnam (2.8%, Good): 5% on dividends and interest, and 0.1% of the sale price on shares.

👉 Cyprus expat tax guide

Which investor regimes did we count?

Several high-tax countries rate Excellent only because of a regime for new residents. They count in our ratings because an ordinary investor can use them, but most have conditions and an end date. Check the conditions before you plan around one.

☑️ New-resident and investor regimes counted in the ratings

Seven of these end within five years: the UK (four tax years), New Zealand (48 months), Chile (three years), India's RNOR status (two or three tax years), and the two-year windows in the Dominican Republic, Tanzania and Uganda. South Korea's lasts five years, and so does Japan's non-permanent resident status (five years in any 10). We flag these short regimes but don't change the rating.

Japan's regime counts but doesn't change its rating. Dividends and interest kept abroad are untaxed, but gains on securities you buy after you arrive are taxed at 20.315% wherever you sell them. With half the return in gains, that's about 10.2% in tax, and National Health Insurance on the declared gain adds about 4.9%. The all-in is 15.1%, just over the Good line, so Japan stays Moderate.

Not every regime counts. Uzbekistan's special tax regime takes foreign investment income to 0% for a US$50,000 fee, and Jersey's High Value Residency isn't counted either, so both are rated on their normal rules (Good). Malta, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are rated on a non-dom bringing all the income in. Leave it abroad and Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago charge nothing on it, while in Malta the €5,000 minimum tax can apply instead.

👉 HMRC helpsheet HS266: the foreign income and gains (FIG) regime

👉 Income tax law (Title 7), updated March 2026: rates and the holiday (in Spanish)

👉 Official Gazette: Law No. 7582, which adds article 20/D and the 1% inheritance rate (in Turkish)

👉 Turkey expat tax guide

Which countries have a wealth tax that hits investors?

A wealth tax moves the rating down one level. That's why all nine Poor countries are either above 30% or count as wealth tax countries in our ratings: Norway, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Suriname. France's wealth tax doesn't reach a share portfolio, but its 31.4% flat tax is above 30% anyway.

☑️ Poor for investors in 2026: all 9 countries

Spain is rated Moderate in Madrid or Andalucía, where the wealth tax has 100% relief below €3 million. Two more countries drop from Good to Moderate because of a wealth tax: Switzerland (about 7.2% in Zurich, including wealth tax) and Liechtenstein (about 2.5%, because 4% of your net wealth is taxed as income).

Three in-scope countries have a wealth tax that doesn't reach this portfolio. Bolivia's starts at Bs 30 million, and US$1m is about Bs 11.7 million. Uruguay's only reaches assets in Uruguay. Colombia's starts at 72,000 UVT, and US$1m is about 61,100 UVT, so no wealth tax in 2026.

👉 Agenzia delle Entrate: IVAFE rates (in Italian)

👉 Norway expat tax guide

Every Excellent and Good country for investors

These are all 102 countries rated Excellent or Good, ranked by the all-in rate on the US$1m portfolio. Countries on the same rate are listed by TaxPilot Tax Index score.

☑️ Excellent for investors: all 49 countries

☑️ Good for investors: all 53 countries

Moderate covers 42 countries, over 15% and up to 30%, or lower where a wealth tax has moved the rating down. Japan is one of them, at 15.1%, just over the Good line even with its non-permanent resident rule.

Traps and what to check before you move

Where your income comes from

Territorial countries only exempt foreign income. Local investments are taxed: 8% on Paraguayan investments, 10% in Panama and Honduras, and mostly 15% in Costa Rica. In Jordan and Nicaragua, the 0% only holds if the money didn't come from that country in the first place.

Dividends, interest or gains

Our example assumes the income is mostly dividends. If it's interest, some countries cost more. Namibia would be about 11% if all the income were foreign interest, Eswatini about 5% and Ivory Coast about 9%. In Zimbabwe, interest instead of dividends would cost 25.75%.

Social security and health contributions

Some low-tax places charge contributions on investment income. In Guernsey, a non-employed person under pension age pays 11.8% contributions, which is why the all-in is about 9% when tax alone is about 5%. Jersey adds the long-term care charge and Class 2 Social Security if you're under pension age.

Residence at both ends

Moving somewhere tax free doesn't end your old residence by itself. Bahrain, Kuwait, Bermuda and the Bahamas have no tax residence test, so it's your home country's rules that decide when you've left. Some in-scope countries also have an exit tax when you leave, which we mention but don't score: Canada, Eswatini, Israel, Moldova, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the USA.

Proposed changes

A Colombian reform bill would lower the wealth tax threshold to 40,000 UVT from 2027, which would catch a US$1m portfolio. Proposed, not law. In Norway, the 2027 budget would raise the wealth tax threshold to NOK 1.99 million. Proposed, not law.

👉 Colombia expat tax guide

Frequently asked questions

Which country is best for investors on tax in 2026?

The Bahamas tops our ranking: it charges 0% on dividends, interest and capital gains, with no wealth or inheritance tax. The UAE, Bahrain, Georgia, Qatar and Kuwait also come out at 0% on a US$1m portfolio.

Which countries don't tax dividends or capital gains?

Countries with no personal income tax, such as the Bahamas, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Monaco and the Cayman Islands, don't tax either. Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore also leave dividends and share gains untaxed for individuals.

Does a territorial tax system mean my portfolio is tax free?

Only the foreign part. Countries like Panama, Paraguay and Costa Rica don't tax a portfolio held abroad, but they do tax local investments. See our guide to countries that don't tax foreign income.

What are the best countries in Europe for investors?

Monaco, Georgia, Gibraltar and Bosnia and Herzegovina (in the Federation) charge 0% on our US$1m portfolio, and Moldova does for foreign citizens. The UK and Turkey reach 0% for new residents through the FIG regime (four years) and article 20/D (20 years). Luxembourg (0.6%) and Cyprus (1.3%) are close behind.

Which countries have a wealth tax on investments?

Norway, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Suriname, Switzerland and Liechtenstein all have one that counts in our ratings. Bolivia, Uruguay and Colombia have wealth taxes that don't reach a US$1m foreign portfolio. See countries with a wealth tax.

Is Puerto Rico still worth it for investors?

With an Act 60 decree applied for by 31 December 2026, interest, dividends and post-move gains are taxed at 0% until 2035. Later applications pay a flat 4%, and the US$10,000 yearly donation and US tax on US-source dividends can cost more than the tax.

Does the UK tax a new resident's investment portfolio?

Not for the first four tax years, if you weren't UK resident in the previous 10. Under the FIG regime, foreign dividends, interest and gains are free of UK tax. After that, a US$1m portfolio costs about 12% a year.

Where to go next

👉 Countries with a wealth tax

👉 Special tax regimes for new residents

👉 Countries that don't tax foreign income

👉 Countries with no income tax

👉 Best countries for retirees

👉 Countries with an exit tax

👉 UAE expat tax guide

👉 Uruguay expat tax guide