{"id":22476,"date":"2023-02-22T11:32:10","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T11:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalresidenceindex.com\/?p=22476"},"modified":"2026-01-16T11:11:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:11:46","slug":"no-tax-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalresidenceindex.com\/no-tax-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"No Tax Countries List: Guide to Tax-Free Countries"},"content":{"rendered":"

No Tax Countries List: Guide to Tax-Free Countries<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Hearing \u201cno income taxes\u201d is something that can make a High Net Worth Individual’s ears prop up too. It is more common for countries moving in the opposite direction to increase income taxes and place wealth taxes on their tax residents.<\/p>\n

Countries like the United States (US) are one of two countries with citizenship-based tax. Regardless of where a US tax base is, they must submit and, more likely than not, pay income tax to the US government each year.<\/p>\n

Is it Possible to Live in a Country with No Taxes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Benjamin Franklin’s quote in 1789, \u201cIn this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes\u201d, is quite relevant for US citizens but not necessarily for other nationalities. There are a few countries with no taxes that are still able to generate significant government revenue.<\/p>\n

Countries can generate revenue from state-owned businesses such as oil and mineral exports, tourism, real estate, and other industries. The governments can also charge taxes for certain services, company registration, annual audit fees, residence permits, car licenses and registration, and tolls.<\/p>\n

Taxes are other ways to generate revenue but are not specifically related to an individual’s income. Property tax, personal income tax, or corporate tax can all generate significant annual revenue in income tax free countries. Stamp duty for sales and monthly rates and levies on municipal services and energy, water, and gas usage if these run through a state enterprise are also common in a tax free country.<\/p>\n

Value Added Tax (VAT) can allow governments to generate revenue on certain goods and services. Effectively this is a type of consumption tax, making it popular in countries with no income taxes. You do not pay personal income taxes on how much you earn but rather on how much you spend.<\/p>\n

Best Tax-Free Countries Using Citizenship by Investment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the most attractive features of many countries that offer citizenship by investment program is their low or zero-tax laws. The\u00a0Global Residence Index<\/u><\/a>\u00a0team doesn’t provide tax advice services, but they work with the best tax advisors in the world. These expert partners can build an effective strategy to reduce your taxes, possibly to zero.<\/p>\n

The government in an income tax free country naturally makes their offer of citizenship by investment program more attractive to investors. The lure of potentially reducing personal income tax can be a crucial differentiator to other programs.<\/p>\n

The standard practice to obtain tax residence in countries with no taxes is by being physically present for more than 183 days per year. There are caveats, with countries placing special allowances for homeowners or reducing the physical presence requirement by application.<\/p>\n

The next section includes information on the best tax countries that GRI believes are worth considering as potential tax havens or have very low tax regimes.<\/p>\n

Antigua and Barbuda<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One thing that the beautiful islands of\u00a0Antigua and Barbuda<\/u><\/a>,<\/u>\u00a0former British overseas territory, are famous for is their 365 beaches. Aside from the option of spending time on a new beach every day of the year, residents of these low tax countries can enjoy zero income tax. The twin islands do not have any policies on taxing wealth, inheritance, dividends and capital gains.<\/p>\n

VAT in Antigua and Barbuda is 15%, which is applied to most goods and services, including imports. Essential food items, medical supplies, educational materials, and certain exports are generally exempt from VAT.<\/p>\n

Antigua attracts hundreds of companies that register and incorporate in Antigua and Barbuda under the International Business Corporations (IBC) act. These companies are exempt from paying corporate income tax and tax on real estate, securities and other assets for fifty years.<\/p>\n

High Net Worth Individuals looking to invest in the country will obtain a second passport. The Antiguan passport is ranked thirty-first in the world. It has visa-free travel to over 150 countries and territories, including the UK, Europe’s Schengen area, South Africa, Kenya, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore.<\/p>\n

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Saint Kitts and Nevis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis<\/u><\/a>\u00a0has the strongest passport out of the five Caribbean countries offering citizenship by investment program. The oldest program passport has visa-free access to over 156 countries and territories. The islands are not a tax haven for individuals, but there are significant benefits to becoming a tax resident.<\/p>\n

An individual will not have to pay taxes on capital gains, inheritance, and wealth taxes. The income tax policies are complex in Saint Kitts and Nevis. A non-tax resident (a citizen who does not live in Saint Kitts and Nevis) will not pay taxes on income or inheritance for residents and non-residents when not working for a local company.<\/p>\n

Taxation of individuals employed by a local Saint Kitts company:<\/p>\n