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Japan vs Singapore Tax Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of tax rates and systems
Tax Rate Comparison
Rate Comparison
Top Income Tax
Japan55%
Singapore24%Lower
Corporate Tax
Japan30%
Singapore17%Lower
Capital Gains
Japan20%
Singapore0%Lower
VAT / Sales Tax
Japan10%
Singapore9%Lower
| Category | Japan | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Tax System | Progressive | Territorial |
| Top Income Tax | 55% | 24% |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 17% |
| Capital Gains | 20% | 0% |
| VAT / Sales Tax | 10% | 9% |
| Crypto Tax | Yes | No |
| Wealth Tax | No | No |
| Tax Treaties | 80 | 90 |
| Currency | JPY | SGD |
The bottom line: Japan vs Singapore
Singapore has the lower headline rate on 4 of the four main taxes (income, corporate, capital gains and VAT), making it the lighter-taxed of the two on paper. Japan runs a progressive tax system, while Singapore uses a territorial one. On crypto, Singapore is the more favourable — it does not tax cryptocurrency gains. Singapore has the wider tax-treaty network (90 agreements), which can reduce withholding tax on cross-border income.
- Income tax: Singapore is lower (55% vs 24%)
- Corporate tax: Singapore is lower (30% vs 17%)
- Capital gains tax: Singapore is lower (20% vs 0%)
- VAT / sales tax: Singapore is lower (10% vs 9%)