Exit taxes are levies imposed by certain governments on individuals who give up tax residency or citizenship.
These taxes are typically applied to unrealized capital gains on worldwide assets and are intended to prevent individuals, especially high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), from avoiding tax on accrued wealth by relocating to lower-tax jurisdictions.
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In recent years, countries like the United States, Canada, Germany, and France have used exit tax regimes to ensure that wealth built under their tax systems remains taxable upon departure.
However, as of 2025, a significant number of jurisdictions do not impose any form of exit tax. These countries offer opportunities for individuals seeking to change residency without triggering a tax liability on unrealized gains.
What Is an Exit Tax? How Does Exit Tax Work?
An exit tax is a tax charged when an individual ceases to be a tax resident or renounces citizenship.
The most common form of exit tax is a deemed disposal or mark-to-market taxation of certain assets, which are typically shares, businesses, intellectual property, or other investments, based on their fair market value at the time of departure.
The tax applies even though the individual has not actually sold the assets.
Triggers for exit tax liability typically include:
- Renunciation of citizenship or permanent resident status (e.g., US expatriation tax)
- Change of tax residency status after meeting residency duration thresholds
- Exceeding asset or net worth thresholds (e.g., in Spain, France, and Japan)
Exit taxes can create substantial financial liabilities often requiring liquidity to cover tax bills on unsold assets and thus represent a key consideration for HNWIs planning international relocation.
Understanding which countries do not impose such taxes is critical to effective financial planning and wealth preservation.
Countries Without Exit Taxes as of 2025
The following countries do not impose an exit tax when an individual ceases tax residency or renounces citizenship. Most of these jurisdictions also offer low or zero personal income tax, making them attractive destinations for high-net-worth individuals seeking long-term tax efficiency and asset protection.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax. A flat 9% corporate tax applies to business profits above AED 375,000. No capital gains or inheritance taxes for individuals. Residency available via employment or investment visas.
Bahrain
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income, capital gains, or inheritance tax. Corporate income tax applies only to oil and gas companies. Residents enjoy near-complete tax exemption on personal wealth.
Qatar
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income or capital gains tax unless it is derived from sources within Qatar. Corporate tax applies to most business entities at 10%. No taxation on investment income for individuals.
Kuwait
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax or capital gains tax. Foreign companies are taxed on Kuwait-source income, but individuals are exempt from tax on worldwide income and assets.
Oman
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax or capital gains tax for individuals. Corporate tax applies to business profits at a standard rate of 15%. Investment-friendly environment for residents.
The Bahamas
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No income, capital gains, inheritance, or corporate tax on residents. Revenue is raised primarily through VAT and duties. Offers permanent residency via property investment.
The Cayman Islands
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No direct taxes of any kind on individuals—no income, capital gains, or inheritance tax. No corporate tax. Popular for offshore funds and wealth management structures.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax. Citizenship-by-investment program available. Corporate tax exists but is modest and territorially applied.
Antigua and Barbuda
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income or capital gains tax. Low property tax. Citizenship-by-investment and tax residency programs available.
Dominica
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax for non-residents. Citizens by investment may be tax-exempt depending on residence status. No wealth or inheritance tax.
Turks and Caicos Islands
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income, capital gains, or corporate tax. Government revenue derives from import duties and tourism. Permanent residency available via investment.
British Virgin Islands (BVI)
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No income, inheritance, or capital gains tax for individuals. No corporate tax on BVI companies conducting business outside the territory. Popular for trusts and asset protection.
Monaco
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax for residents (except French nationals under a special agreement). No capital gains, inheritance, or net wealth tax. Stringent residency requirements.
Brunei
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income or capital gains tax. Corporate tax applies at a flat rate to businesses, but individuals enjoy broad tax exemptions. Residency limited and controlled.
The Maldives
- Exit tax: None.
- Tax regime: No personal income tax on non-residents or temporary residents unless derived within Maldives. Businesses are taxed under a corporate income tax regime. Tourism is the main revenue source. Residency by investment not widely available.
What to Consider Beyond Exit Taxes
While an absence of exit tax is a clear advantage, it should not be the sole deciding factor in choosing a new residency.
HNWIs must evaluate a full matrix of tax, legal, lifestyle, and compliance factors to ensure sustainable, risk-managed relocation.
Ongoing Tax Exposure
Even without exit tax, some countries may:
- Impose corporate taxes on locally based businesses
- Have VAT, import duties, or property taxes
- Maintain withholding taxes on certain financial flows
Understanding the full tax environment—including treatment of foreign trusts, controlled foreign corporations (CFCs), or passive income—is essential for proper planning.
Legal and Financial Infrastructure
HNWIs should assess whether the jurisdiction provides:
- Access to high-quality legal, accounting, and private banking services
- A stable and predictable regulatory framework
- Clear treaty networks (tax, investment protection, extradition)
Jurisdictions with limited legal infrastructure may increase operational risk despite tax advantages.
Lifestyle, Mobility, and Safety
Non-financial considerations play a critical role in relocation decisions:
- Security and political stability
- Healthcare, education, and quality of life
- Ease of travel, especially visa-free access for citizens or residents
A tax-friendly jurisdiction may still fall short if it lacks long-term livability, safety, or international mobility.
International Compliance and Reputation
Even if a jurisdiction does not impose exit or income taxes, HNWIs must remain compliant with:
- Common Reporting Standard (CRS) requirements for automatic information exchange
- FATCA (for US persons)
- Ongoing filing obligations in previous jurisdictions, especially under anti-avoidance rules
Relocating to a tax haven may increase scrutiny from origin-country authorities, particularly where anti-abuse provisions or “deemed residency” rules apply.
Things to Consider Before Moving Abroad
Even in the absence of an exit tax at the destination, the process of leaving a high-tax jurisdiction and relocating abroad requires careful planning to avoid unexpected liabilities and compliance issues.
High-net-worth individuals should approach relocation with a structured, cross-border strategy.
Exit Tax Strategy
Before leaving a jurisdiction that does impose an exit tax, individuals should:
- Review residency thresholds to identify the precise tax trigger date.
- Establish fair market value of all taxable assets before departure.
- Explore restructuring options (e.g., asset sales, gifts, or moving assets into exempt vehicles).
- Understand treaty protections that may provide exit tax deferral or relief.
Professional assistance from tax lawyers or international financial advisors is essential to document valuations, report transactions, and manage timing.
Destination Entry Strategy
Once departure is planned, the next step is establishing residency in the exit-tax-free jurisdiction:
- Determine the most secure legal residency path, such as citizenship-by-investment (CBI), residency-by-investment (RBI), or employment-based visas.
- Fulfill physical presence or substance requirements, if any.
- Open local bank accounts, secure housing, and register businesses if necessary to satisfy residence criteria.
- Ensure all CRS/FATCA disclosures are correctly reported to the new jurisdiction.
The goal is to achieve tax residency status in a jurisdiction that imposes no exit tax—and ideally, minimal or no taxation overall.
Ongoing Financial Structuring
Post-relocation, wealth structures should be updated to reflect the new tax environment:
- Reassess trusts, holding companies, and offshore funds for compatibility with the new jurisdiction.
- Coordinate estate plans to take advantage of favorable inheritance and gift tax regimes.
- Monitor treaty eligibility, reporting obligations, and corporate structure efficiency.
A move to a tax-friendly jurisdiction often opens up new opportunities for simplified, tax-efficient wealth management—provided they are implemented with legal and compliance integrity.
Relocating to a jurisdiction without exit taxes can provide significant advantages for high-net-worth individuals seeking tax efficiency, asset protection, and financial mobility.
Countries like the UAE, Monaco, and the Cayman Islands offer favorable tax regimes not only at the point of departure, but throughout one’s residency. However, these benefits do not eliminate the need for meticulous planning.
Exit-tax-free status should be seen as part of a broader relocation strategy that includes timing, legal residency, financial restructuring, and international compliance.
For individuals with substantial global holdings, proactive planning is essential to legally preserve wealth, minimize unnecessary taxation, and maintain long-term financial flexibility in a globally transparent world.
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Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters with over 830million answer views on Quora, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.
