Japan vs Malaysia
Tax Rate Comparison
Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.
๐ฐ Personal Income Tax Calculator
Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country โ side by side.
๐ฏ๐ต Japan โ Prefectural & Municipal Inhabitant Tax
Japan's 47 prefectures levy inhabitant tax (ไฝๆฐ็จ) at a flat 10% on top of national income tax โ 4% prefectural + 6% municipal. A reconstruction special income tax of 2.1% of national tax applies through 2037. Property acquisition tax and fixed asset tax (1.4% of assessed value) are levied locally. Large cities impose additional taxes on large businesses.
๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia โ State & Local Authority Taxes
Malaysia's 13 states and 3 federal territories have limited independent taxing powers. States levy quit rent (cukai tanah) on land, assessment rates (cukai pintu/taksiran) on property through local councils, and royalties on natural resources. Petroleum royalties are a major state revenue in Sabah, Sarawak, and Terengganu. Local councils (majlis perbandaran) levy property assessment at 6%โ12% of estimated annual rental value. No state income taxes exist โ this is federal.
Japan vs Malaysia: Key Tax Differences (2026)
๐ฐ Income Tax: ๐ฏ๐ต Japan has a higher top income tax rate (5โ45% vs 0โ30%). ๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia is more favourable for high earners.
๐ VAT/Sales Tax: Both countries have comparable consumption tax rates (8โ10% vs 10%).
๐ข Corporate Tax: ๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia offers a lower corporate rate (24% vs 30.62%), which can influence business location decisions.
๐ Capital Gains: ๐ฏ๐ต Japan taxes investment gains at a lower rate (20.315% vs 30%), benefiting investors.