Highest top income tax rates
Top marginal rate on individual income — the figure most often cited in tax-haven debates.
Headline finding
Finland leads the world for highest top income tax rates at 56.9% % of top bracket.
The full top 25: Highest top income tax rates
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Finland 56.9%
- 2 Japan 55.9%
- 3 Denmark 55.9%
- 4 France 55.4%
- 5 Austria 55.0%
- 6 Belgium 53.5%
- 7 Portugal 53.0%
- 8 Sweden 52.0%
- 9 Netherlands 49.5%
- 10 Spain 47.0%
- 11 Ireland 48.0%
- 12 Norway 47.4%
- 13 Luxembourg 45.8%
- 14 United Kingdom 45.0%
- 15 Australia 45.0%
- 16 Germany 45.0%
- 17 Italy 43.0%
- 18 Greece 44.0%
- 19 South Korea 45.0%
- 20 Switzerland 40.0%
- 21 United States 37.0%
- 22 Canada 33.0%
- 23 Iceland 46.3%
- 24 Slovenia 50.0%
- 25 South Africa 45.0%
What the numbers show
Finland's lead at the top of this ranking is 1.8% above the second-place country — a margin tight enough that the top spot has changed hands within the last five years and could change again.
The five countries leading the table — Finland, Japan, Denmark, France, Austria — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with South Africa anchoring the list at 45.0%.
Figures are drawn from KPMG Individual Tax Rates 2024. We use this source because it produces a single, internally consistent dataset rather than aggregating from national statistics offices, which makes year-on-year comparison reliable. The next update is expected when the source publishes its next annual release — see the methodology section below for which year of data is currently shown.
Methodology and caveats
- What this measures
- % of top bracket
- Source
- KPMG Individual Tax Rates 2024
- Coverage
- Top 25 countries shown. Full source dataset covers all 195 sovereign states where data is available.
- Refresh cadence
- Updated annually as the source publishes new figures, typically autumn or spring.
- Known caveat
- Country definitions follow the source: where the UN, the World Bank and the CIA Factbook disagree on borders or recognition, we use the figure as published rather than reconciling between bodies. Comparisons across rankings should be made with this in mind.
Frequently asked
Which country tops the ranking for top income tax rates?
Finland leads with 56.9% % of top bracket. Japan is second at 55.9%, with Denmark in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the top income tax rates ranking?
The figures come from KPMG Individual Tax Rates 2024. We use this source because it publishes a complete country-by-country dataset using consistent methodology — the alternative of mixing national statistics offices would compromise comparability. Updated annually with the latest available vintage of the data.
How often are the top income tax rates figures updated?
Once a year, in line with the source institution's publishing schedule. Major institutions like the World Bank, IMF and UNESCO publish annual updates in different months — typically autumn or spring — and the figures here reflect the most recently published vintage. The source footer on the ranking table shows which year's data is currently displayed.