'%3e%3cpath%20fill='%230052b4'%20d='m0%2044.5%20257.8-23.7L512%2044.5v423l-252.5%2026L0%20467.5z'/%3e%3ccircle%20cx='256'%20cy='256'%20r='122.4'%20fill='%23eee'/%3e%3ccircle%20cx='256'%20cy='256'%20r='100.2'%20fill='%236da544'/%3e%3ccircle%20cx='256'%20cy='256'%20r='66.8'%20fill='%23eee'/%3e%3cpath%20fill='%230052b4'%20d='M256%20239.3%20219.8%20256v27.8l36.2%2022.3%2036.2-22.3V256z'/%3e%3cpath%20fill='%23ffda44'%20d='M219.8%20222.6h72.4V256h-72.4z'/%3e%3cpath%20fill='%23a2001d'%20d='M0%200h512v44.5H0zm0%20467.5h512V512H0z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Belize tax guide 2026
Belize keeps personal tax simple and low: employment income is either exempt — everything up to BZD 29,000 a year since January 2025 — or taxed at a flat 25% after generous reliefs. There is no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no wealth tax. Self-employed people pay a small percentage of gross receipts instead of income tax, and the Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) programme exempts foreign income for retirees who join.
- Rate range
- 0% – 25%
- Key allowance
- Total income up to BZD 29,000 a year: fully exempt (raised from 26,000 in January 2025)
- Tax year
- Calendar year 2026
- Filing deadline
- 31 March 2027
Taxes covered
- Income tax25%
Single flat national rate on employment income above the exempt zone. No municipal income taxes, no surcharges.
- Dividend tax15%
Dividends are generally settled by a flat 15% withheld at source rather than progressive taxation.
- Capital gains tax0%
Belize has no capital gains tax — gains on property, shares and other assets are simply not taxed.
- Crypto tax0%
No crypto-specific rules exist, and with no capital gains tax, personal crypto gains are generally untaxed. Business-scale trading could attract business tax.
- Social security10% combined
Contributions total 10% of insurable earnings up to BZD 520 a week, split between employer and employee by wage band.
- Inheritance tax0%
Belize imposes no estate, inheritance or gift taxes — transfers at death and during life are untaxed.
- Withholding tax15% / 25%
Salaries run through pay-as-you-earn (PAYE). Cross-border payments face 15% on dividends and interest and 25% on management and technical fees.
Special regimes
- Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) programme
From age 40 with US$2,000 a month of foreign retirement income, Belize exempts your foreign-source income, gains and inheritances.
- Territorial framework
Belizean tax is built around Belize-source income — most foreign-source income falls outside the net.
- Business tax on gross receipts
The self-employed skip income tax and instead pay 1.75% to 15% of turnover depending on the trade.
Recent changes
- 2025-01-01The income tax exemption threshold rose from BZD 26,000 to BZD 29,000; earners between BZD 29,000.01 and 32,000 now get a BZD 20,000 relief plus a tax credit keeping net income at no less than BZD 29,000. The same act removed income tax on time-deposit interest and extended treaty relief to all treaty partners (previously Commonwealth countries only).
- 2026-01-01No further personal tax changes announced for 2026 — the 2025 structure (BZD 29,000 exemption) carries forward per the Belize Tax Service.
- 2022-04-04The social security schedule moved to a 10% combined rate on a BZD 520 weekly insurable ceiling, up from 9% on BZD 480 — the structure still in force in 2026.