Panama vs United States
Tax Rate Comparison
Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.
💰 Personal Income Tax Calculator
Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country — side by side.
Individual Income Tax (Top Marginal Rate)
VAT / GST / Sales Tax
Corporate Tax Rate
Capital Gains Tax
Social Security & Payroll
🇵🇦 Panama — Municipal & Corregimiento Taxes
Panama's 10 provinces and 81 districts have municipalities that levy commercial licence fees (Tasa Unica), property tax (impuesto de inmuebles at 0%–2.1%), and service fees. Panama City has the highest commercial licence fees. Panama uses a territorial tax system — income earned outside Panama is not taxed. This has made Panama a significant financial and trading hub. The Colón Free Zone is the world's second largest free trade zone. Panama is working to exit FATF grey lists and improve tax transparency.
🇺🇸 United States — State & Local Taxes
The U.S. has 50 states each setting their own income tax (0%–13.3%). California tops at 13.3%, while Texas, Florida, and Nevada levy no state income tax. NYC adds its own income tax (up to 3.876%). Sales taxes vary from 0% (Oregon) to over 11% combined. Property taxes are primarily local. Some states like Washington have introduced capital gains levies.
Panama vs United States: Key Tax Differences (2026)
💰 Income Tax: 🇺🇸 United States has a higher top income tax rate (0–25% vs 10–37%). 🇵🇦 Panama is more favourable for high earners.
🛒 VAT/Sales Tax: United States has a higher consumption tax (7% vs 0–11%).
🏢 Corporate Tax: 🇺🇸 United States offers a lower corporate rate (21% vs 25%), which can influence business location decisions.
📈 Capital Gains: 🇵🇦 Panama taxes investment gains at a lower rate (10% vs 20%), benefiting investors.