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Costa Rica vs Philippines Tax Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of tax rates and systems
Tax Rate Comparison
Rate Comparison
Top Income Tax
Costa Rica25%Lower
Philippines35%
Corporate Tax
Costa Rica30%
Philippines25%Lower
Capital Gains
Costa Rica15%
Philippines15%
VAT / Sales Tax
Costa Rica13%
Philippines12%Lower
| Category | Costa Rica | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Tax System | Territorial | Progressive |
| Top Income Tax | 25% | 35% |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 25% |
| Capital Gains | 15% | 15% |
| VAT / Sales Tax | 13% | 12% |
| Crypto Tax | No | No |
| Wealth Tax | No | No |
| Tax Treaties | 5 | 43 |
| Currency | CRC | PHP |
The bottom line: Costa Rica vs Philippines
Philippines has the lower headline rate on 2 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 Philippines uses a progressive one. Philippines has the wider tax-treaty network (43 agreements), which can reduce withholding tax on cross-border income.
- Income tax: Costa Rica is lower (25% vs 35%)
- Corporate tax: Philippines is lower (30% vs 25%)
- Capital gains tax: identical in both (15%)
- VAT / sales tax: Philippines is lower (13% vs 12%)