vs
Canada vs Costa Rica Tax Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of tax rates and systems
Tax Rate Comparison
Rate Comparison
Top Income Tax
Canada53%
Costa Rica25%Lower
Corporate Tax
Canada26.5%Lower
Costa Rica30%
Capital Gains
Canada27%
Costa Rica15%Lower
VAT / Sales Tax
Canada5%Lower
Costa Rica13%
| Category | Canada | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Tax System | Progressive | Territorial |
| Top Income Tax | 53% | 25% |
| Corporate Tax | 26.5% | 30% |
| Capital Gains | 27% | 15% |
| VAT / Sales Tax | 5% | 13% |
| Crypto Tax | Yes | No |
| Wealth Tax | No | No |
| Tax Treaties | 95 | 5 |
| Currency | CAD | CRC |
The bottom line: Canada vs Costa Rica
Canada and Costa Rica are evenly matched on the four headline taxes, each coming out lower on two of them — so the better choice depends on your specific income mix. Canada runs a progressive tax system, while Costa Rica uses a territorial one. On crypto, Costa Rica is the more favourable — it does not tax cryptocurrency gains. Canada has the wider tax-treaty network (95 agreements), which can reduce withholding tax on cross-border income.
- Income tax: Costa Rica is lower (53% vs 25%)
- Corporate tax: Canada is lower (26.5% vs 30%)
- Capital gains tax: Costa Rica is lower (27% vs 15%)
- VAT / sales tax: Canada is lower (5% vs 13%)