Property taxes by country

Purchase taxes

Transfer tax or stamp duty is charged on acquisition and is usually the largest single line in the closing statement. Several countries apply a surcharge to non-resident or second-home buyers, which increases the effective cost.

Recurring annual taxes

Annual property tax is typically levied by the municipality on a cadastral or rateable value rather than market value, so headline rates can be misleading. Effective rates in our coverage vary considerably, from close to zero to notably higher shares of market value per year.

Wealth and net-asset taxes

A minority of countries include real estate in an annual wealth tax, sometimes with a lower threshold for non-residents holding only property. Where this applies we flag it on the country hub.

Frequently asked questions

Do non-residents pay higher property tax?

Often on purchase, through non-resident or second-home surcharges. Recurring municipal taxes are usually the same for residents and non-residents.

Is property tax deductible against rental income?

In most jurisdictions recurring property tax is a deductible expense against rental income, but the treatment varies and is summarised per country.