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Comment by uxhacker | Hacker News Reader

Wich other countries are offering low taxes to digital nomads?

In EU according to https://www.taxobservatory.eu/www-site/uploads/2021/11/EU-Ta...

> countries with schemes are Austria (2 regimes), Belgium, Cyprus (3), Denmark, Finland (2), France, Greece (2), Ireland (2), Italy (5), Luxembourg, Malta (2 in 1), Netherlands, Portugal (2), Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. 4 Belgium: Foreign executives’ regime, Finland: 32% rule regime, Sweden: Expert tax regime, Ireland: Non-remittance regime.

Those are countries with _some sort_ of skilled immigrant tax relief scheme. I doubt many are even in the same ballpark as the Portuguese one. The Irish scheme, at least, is _far_ more limited; it applies only to existing employees of foreign companies (ie people who transfer), is time limited, and applies only to earned income over 100k (30% of which is disregarded for income tax, though not social taxes). So, for someone earning 200k, the tax on the upper 100k would be at 40% instead of 52% (normally composed of 40% income tax + 12% social taxes, 0.3*40=12, 52-12=40). That’s worlds away from a 20% flat tax, on all income, forever.

Spain has special tax regime applicable to high qualified workers (in any region) and nomads (in some regions currently) who haven’t been tax resident in Spain for last 5 years (ie relocated recently). It’s 24% flat (under 600k per year) IRPF tax for 5 years.

Also, capital gains outside of Spain sourced income are not taxed in Spain.

Social security contributions are paid in full same as usual tax residents.

Tax treaty doesn’t apply for such tax residents though and it complicates taxes in general.

UAE, although it’s low taxes for everyone, but they do offer a fantastic digital nomad visa

The Netherlands have/had a tax-break for all expats, but it's going away (has gone away?) now.

Sadly even centrists are conservative now and destroying the country in the name of, what... preserving culture?

Examples: Attempts to limit the number of tourists. Limiting number of flights from Schiphol. A ban on building new hotels. Removal of the expat tax-break. Limiting the number of foreign student in the universities. Mandating that less university classes are thaught in English and the list goes on and on.

I mean who in their right mind would say yes to more skilled labor and cash inflow into the local economy. Surely no-one! :rolls-eyes:

Well, all the populist comments here above (but definitely on reddit) where people make you believe everything is going to shit (I am Dutch and live in PT) seem to stir to pot enough to take populist (read: not working or possible even short term, but definitely not long term) decisions. NL shouldn't, nor should PT; the populist are a minority and the people who shout loud with the same 'ideas', don't 'want the tourists/foreigners/expats out'; they want more equality. That's fine, let's talk about that.

The housing crisis in The Netherlands complicates the topic in my opinion. The influx of expats should be tied closer to the available housing supply.

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