Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Germany or France: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Germany ↗ |  France ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 45% | 45% |
| Corporate tax | 15%* | 25%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 26.4% | 30% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 20% |
| Wealth tax | No | Yes |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign income | Worldwide | Partly exempt |
| Headline expat regime | None | Impatriate regime |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 80 | 77 |
| Population | 83,491,249 | 68,720,337 |
| Area | 357,021 km² | 547,030 km² |
| Population density | 234/km² | 126/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 75 | 135 |
| Annual tourists | 37,420,000 | 100,000,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81.5 yrs | 83.5 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.08 | 6.66 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 80/100 | 69/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~96 | ~122 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 104 Mbps | 352 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $6,849 | $5,327 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 8.81 | 8.23 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+1 | UTC |
| Digital nomad visa | No | · |
| Official languages | 1 (German) | 1 (French) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Germany: 15% federal corporate income tax + 5.5% solidarity surcharge on it (=15.825%) + municipal trade tax ~7-21% → combined effective ~30-33%. · France: Standard 25%; reduced 15% on first €42,500 profit for qualifying SMEs. Temporary surtax on very large companies for FY2025.
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