South Korea vs Germany
Corporate Tax Comparison
Time of Update: South Korea: 4/04/2026 / Germany: 4/02/2026
Compare South Korea and Germany corporate tax rates, filing due dates, withholding tax, VAT, capital gains tax, and effective tax metrics for cross-border company planning.
South Korea vs Germany Corporate Tax Comparison
Basic Corporate Tax Comparison
Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
South Korea
Germany
General CIT Rate:
Progressive: 10% (up to 200M KRW), 20% (200M-20B KRW), 22% (20B-300B KRW), 25% (over 300B KRW)
General CIT Rate:
Corporate income tax is 15%, plus a 5.5% solidarity surcharge on the corporate income tax, resulting in a combined rate of 15.825%. Trade tax applies separately and generally ranges from 8.75% to 20.3% depending on the municipality. According to legislative changes adopted in 2025, the corporation tax rate is planned to decrease to 14% in 2028, 13% in 2029, 12% in 2030, 11% in 2031, and 10% from 2032 onward, with the solidarity surcharge continuing to apply.
CIT Return Due Date:
Mid-term tax returns: within two months from the end of the six-month period; annual tax returns: within three months from the end of the fiscal year.
CIT Return Due Date:
July 31st (or extended to the end of February of the following year if the taxpayer instructs a professional tax advisor).
CIT Payment Due Date:
The submission of the declaration form (instalment payments are allowed in the case of elections).
CIT Payment Due Date:
As stated in the assessment notice.
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
N/A
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
Quarterly installment payments are due on the 10th day of March, June, September, and December.
Withholding Tax (WHT)
South Korea
Germany
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
25/25/0
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
25/0/15
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Capital Gain Tax (CGT)
South Korea
Germany
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
25 (the same as the normal CIT rate for corporations over 300B KRW taxable income)
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
Capital gains are subject to the normal corporate tax rate.
Effective Tax Rate (ETR)
South Korea
Germany
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
24.87%
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
26.59
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
22.0%
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
11.00
