Costa Rica vs Argentina Tax Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of tax rates and systems
Tax Rate Comparison
Rate Comparison
Top Income Tax
25%Lower
35%
Corporate Tax
30%Lower
35%
Capital Gains
15%
15%
VAT / Sales Tax
13%Lower
21%
| Category | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax System | Territorial | Progressive |
| Top Income Tax | 25% | 35% |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 35% |
| Capital Gains | 15% | 15% |
| VAT / Sales Tax | 13% | 21% |
| Crypto Tax | No | Yes |
| Wealth Tax | No | Yes |
| Tax Treaties | 5 | 22 |
| Currency | CRC | ARS |
The bottom line: Costa Rica vs Argentina
Costa Rica has the lower headline rate on 3 of the four main taxes (income, corporate, capital gains and VAT), making it the lighter-taxed of the two on paper. Costa Rica runs a territorial tax system, while Argentina uses a progressive one. On crypto, Costa Rica is the more favourable — it does not tax cryptocurrency gains. Argentina has the wider tax-treaty network (22 agreements), which can reduce withholding tax on cross-border income.
- Income tax: Costa Rica is lower (25% vs 35%)
- Corporate tax: Costa Rica is lower (30% vs 35%)
- Capital gains tax: identical in both (15%)
- VAT / sales tax: Costa Rica is lower (13% vs 21%)