From a business profit of €200,000, you are left with approximately €165,500 net in Cyprus as a non-dom. In the Netherlands, that is about €116,000, in Portugal €118,000, and in Belgium, in the best-case scenario, €132,000. Only Dubai, Malta, and Bulgaria score better on paper, and all three have a catch you need to know in advance.
Below, we compare Cyprus with eight countries on corporate tax, dividends, attendance requirements, wealth tax, and EU access. All figures are the 2026 rates, not those of last year.
There is no country that wins for everyone. What you earn, how you earn it, and what you wish to do with your life and/or your partner and/or children determine the answer.
This is the short version:
| Your profile | Strongest choice | Why | Serious second |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneur with own private limited company/company | Cyprus Winner | 15% corporate income tax plus 0% dividend tax via non-domiciled entities. Effectively approximately 17% total, within the EU, with a single company. | Bulgaria (14.5%) |
| Crypto trader or investor | Cyprus Winner | 8% flat tax on disposals since Article 20E. No Box 3, no 33% capital gains tax. | Dubai (0%) |
| Pensioner with a private pension | Cyprus | 5% flat tax above €5,000, plus 0% inheritance tax. Note the source state taxation in the Dutch treaty above €15,000. | Italy (7% in the south) |
| Digital nomad without a fixed base | Cyprus Winner | The 60-day rule. No other EU country allows you to become a tax resident with two months of presence. | Estonia (e-residency, 22%) |
| Wealthy individuals without an active business | Switzerland or Italy | Flat-rate regimes: Italy €200,000 fixed per year on foreign income, Switzerland the Pauschalbesteuerung. | Cyprus non-dom |
| Entrepreneur who wants to go outside the EU | Dubai | 9% corporate tax above AED 375,000 and 0% income tax. But no EU market, no EU passport, and heavy control from the Netherlands/Belgium. | Cyprus |
Core rates 2026. Simplified: social contributions, remuneration requirements and treaties are not included
| Land | Corporate Income Tax | Dividend | Top income tax rate | Days residency | Wealth & inheritance | EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus winner | 15% | 0% for non-doms (17 years). Only 2.65% GHS, capped at €4,770 | 35% above €72,000. Free up to €22,000 | 60 | 0% and 0% | Yes |
| Malta | 35%, effectively 5% after refund | 0% extra (full imputation) | 35% | 183 | 0% and 0%, but 5% transfer duty | Yes |
| Dubai (UAE) | 9% above AED 375,000 | 0% | 0% | 90 to 183, depending on the route | 0% and 0% | No |
| Bulgaria | 10% | 5% | 10% flat tax | 183 | 0% and locally 0.4% to 6.6% | Yes |
| Estonia | 0% on retained earnings, 22% on distribution | Included in the 22% | 22% flat tax | 183 | 0% and 0% | Yes |
| Portugal | 19% (15% on the first €50,000 for SMEs) | 28% | 48% plus solidarity surcharge up to 5% | 183 | 0% and 10% stamp duty outside the direct line | Yes |
| Italy | 24% IRES plus approximately 3.9% IRAP | 26% | 43% plus regional and municipal surcharges | 183 | IVIE and IVAFE 0.2% to 1.06%, inheritance 4% to 8% | Yes |
| Switzerland | 11.9% to 21%, cantonal | Partial levy at the personal rate | 22% to 45%, cantonal | 90 unemployed, 30 employed | Wealth tax 0.1% to 1%, inheritance tax at cantonal level | No, but bilateral agreements |
| Spain | 25% (23% for small businesses) | 19% to 30% | Up to 54% depending on the region | 183 | Wealth tax up to 3.5%, regional inheritance | Yes |
What remains are stay routes, and these vary greatly.
On paper, Dubai (approximately 5%) has the lowest tax burden, followed by Malta (5%) and Bulgaria (14.5%). Within the EU, and calculated based on actual structural costs, Cyprus wins with a total burden of approximately 17%. Cyprus achieves this with a single company, whereas Malta requires two entities and a refund procedure.
The difference lies not in the lead rate, but in what happens when you transfer the money to your private account.
Portugal levies 19% corporate tax and then another 28% on your dividends. That is the trap most comparison tables fall into: they stop at the corporate tax.
Cyprus, with 60 days per year. Every other EU country in this comparison uses 183 days. Condition: you do not stay in any other country for more than 183 days, you are not a tax resident anywhere else, and you have a connection to Cyprus through work, a directorship, or a residence.
This is the only truly structural difference on the list. Rates change every year; an attendance threshold three times lower than the rest changes your life.
For those who travel frequently, this is often more important than a few percent tax rate. Read the details on our page about tax residency and non-dom status.
Cyprus is the most attractive option for pensioners, with a 5% flat tax on foreign pensions above €5,000, plus 0% inheritance tax and 0% wealth tax. Italy offers 7% in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants in the south, for ten years. Since the end of the NHR regime, Portugal is no longer an obvious choice.
Important nuance for Dutch citizens: the Netherlands-Cyprus tax treaty of 2021 includes a source state levy.
The Netherlands is allowed to continue levying taxes on pensions exceeding approximately €15,000 per year. That clause appears on virtually no competing comparison pages and determines whether the 5% rate is attainable for you at all.
Cyprus, with an 8% flat tax on every disposal since Article 20E comes into force on 1 January 2026. Dubai levies 0% but is located outside the EU. Portugal taxes crypto at 28% within one year.
This is the same entrepreneur in nine countries. One company, full distribution of profits to private use, no deductions, no salary included.
€200,000 profit before tax, fully distributed. Simplified calculation 2026.
| Land | Corporate tax | Levy on benefit | Total tax | Net in your pocket | Effective pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai (UAE) | €9.560 | €0 | €9.560 | €190.440 | 4,8% |
| Malta | €70,000 minus €60,000 refund | €0 | €10.000 | €190.000 | 5,0% |
| Bulgaria | €20.000 | €9.000 | €29.000 | €171.000 | 14,5% |
| Cyprus (non-dom) EU winner | €30.000 | €4,505 GHS | €34.505 | €165.495 | 17,3% |
| Estonia | €0 as long as you don't pay out | €44.000 | €44.000 | €156.000 | 22,0% |
| Switzerland (Zug) | approximately €23,700 | approximately €30,000 to €40,000 | approximately €58,000 | approximately €142,000 | approximately 29% |
| Belgium (VVPRbis) | €45.000 | €23.250 | €68.250 | €131.750 | 34,1% |
| Portugal | €36.000 | €45.920 | €81.920 | €118.080 | 41,0% |
| The Netherlands | €38.000 | approximately €45,800 box 2 | approximately €83,800 | approximately €116,200 | 41,9% |
| Italy | €48,000 IRES plus IRAP | €39.520 | approximately €95,000 | approximately €105,000 | approximately 47% |
Two things that this table does not show and that you need to know.
1. Calculate your exit, not your arrival: The most expensive mistake is emigrating without knowing what your home country still expects from you upon departure. In the Netherlands, you will receive a protective assessment on your Box 2 interest. In Belgium, exit tax and the Cayman Islands tax apply. That amount can be greater than ten years of savings.
2. Break down your income: Salary, profit, dividends, crypto, rent, and pension are treated differently in every country. A country that profits from corporate income can lose heavily on your rental income.
3. Count the days you can really take off: If you cannot be somewhere for 183 days, three-quarters of this list is eliminated and Cyprus remains.
4. Factor in structure costs: Malta's 5% costs you two companies. Switzerland costs you a tax ruling process. Cyprus costs you one Ltd and an audit.
5. Check the tax treaty: Especially regarding pensions and real estate, the treaty, not the local rate, determines who may levy taxes.
6. Test the country before you move: Two months on the ground tells you more than a hundred comparison tables.
Compare your net income in Cyprus with the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK. 2026 rates.
A comparison table provides insight into the choice. It does not make the choice for you.
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