Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
United Kingdom or Romania: 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 |  United Kingdom ↗ |  Romania ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 45% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 25%* | 16%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 39.4% | 10% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 21% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | No |
| Foreign income | Temporary exemption | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | FIG 4-year foreign income exemption | Micro-enterprise regime |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 89 | 44 |
| Population | 69,487,000 | 19,020,271 |
| Area | 244,820 km² | 237,500 km² |
| Population density | 284/km² | 80/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 88 | 21 |
| Annual tourists | 38,229,570 | 13,353,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81.5 yrs | 76.1 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.16 | 6.12 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 77/100 | 44/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~130 | ~90 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 172 Mbps | 283 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $5,860 | $1,051 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 9.46 | 16.01 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | · | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (English) | 1 (Romanian) |
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.
* United Kingdom: Main rate 25% (profits >£250k); 19% small-profits rate up to £50k with marginal relief between. Scotland/Wales do not vary corp tax. · Romania: 16% standard. Micro-enterprise: 1% or 3% of turnover depending on conditions, with the threshold cut to EUR 250,000 in 2025. The income tax exemption for IT, construction and agri-food workers was REMOVED from January 2025.
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