Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Japan or Italy: 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 |  Japan ↗ |  Italy ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 45% | 43% |
| Corporate tax | 23.2%* | 24%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 20.3% | 26% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 22% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign income | Remittance basis | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | Non-permanent resident (remittance basis) | Impatriati regime |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 65 | 69 |
| Population | 123,366,734 | 58,915,656 |
| Area | 377,835 km² | 301,230 km² |
| Population density | 327/km² | 196/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 108 | 73 |
| Annual tourists | 36,870,000 | 57,725,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 84.8 yrs | 83.9 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 5.87 | 6.39 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 74/100 | 53/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~78 | ~102 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 255 Mbps | 117 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $3,638 | $3,398 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 11.45 | 14.29 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+9 | UTC+1 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Japanese) | 1 (Italian) |
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.
* Japan: 23.2% national; combined effective corporate rate ~30-31% incl. local enterprise and inhabitant taxes. · Italy: IRES 24% + IRAP regional production tax 3.9% (regions may vary +/-0.92%). FY2025 optional reduced IRES of 20% for companies reinvesting profits in fixed assets under conditions.
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