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Sweden vs Costa Rica Tax Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of tax rates and systems
Tax Rate Comparison
Rate Comparison
Top Income Tax
Sweden52%
Costa Rica25%Lower
Corporate Tax
Sweden20.6%Lower
Costa Rica30%
Capital Gains
Sweden30%
Costa Rica15%Lower
VAT / Sales Tax
Sweden25%
Costa Rica13%Lower
| Category | Sweden | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Tax System | Progressive | Territorial |
| Top Income Tax | 52% | 25% |
| Corporate Tax | 20.6% | 30% |
| Capital Gains | 30% | 15% |
| VAT / Sales Tax | 25% | 13% |
| Crypto Tax | Yes | No |
| Wealth Tax | No | No |
| Tax Treaties | 85 | 5 |
| Currency | SEK | CRC |
The bottom line: Sweden vs Costa Rica
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. Sweden 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. Sweden has the wider tax-treaty network (85 agreements), which can reduce withholding tax on cross-border income.
- Income tax: Costa Rica is lower (52% vs 25%)
- Corporate tax: Sweden is lower (20.6% vs 30%)
- Capital gains tax: Costa Rica is lower (30% vs 15%)
- VAT / sales tax: Costa Rica is lower (25% vs 13%)