# Chile

 Country code: CL · Currency: CLP · Language: Spanish

**Pros**
- Maintaining a robust framework for private property rights and extensive global free trade agreements.
- Accessing high-quality digital infrastructure and modern transport networks for efficient international business operations.
- Benefiting from a historically stable macroeconomic environment with relatively low public debt levels.

**Cons**
- Facing increased social instability and rising crime rates affecting operational security in major urban centers.
- Navigating a complex regulatory environment with slow permitting processes and growing administrative bureaucracy.
- Adapting to recent tax reforms and upward pressure on corporate fiscal obligations.

Long story short: In Chile, you won't be greasing anyone's palm: it's the least corrupt country in Latin America, contracts get honored, courts are reliable.

The flip side: the tax authority is meticulous, the tax burden creeps up steadily, and setting up a company takes patience despite digital paperwork. Infrastructure is solid, and the banking system runs on European standards, trustworthy.

Beyond that: in Santiago's wealthy neighborhoods, you'll live peacefully, the food is excellent (wine, seafood, avocados), and the landscapes from desert to Patagonia are stunning.

## Will your income be taxed?

Long story short: YES, A LOT.
**Chile** shears personal income hard, peaking at **35.5%**. Residency rules are the classic kit (day counts, economic ties, habitual abode), so if you actually live here, you hand over the full schedule.

The state shows up early, and with a receipt book.

**01.1 Income tax**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income tax | 0 → 35.5% | progressive · 7 brackets |

| Bracket (USD) | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 0 – 11,368 | exempt |
| 11,368 – 25,262 | 4% |
| 25,262 – 42,104 | 8% |
| 42,104 – 58,946 | 13.5% |
| 58,946 – 75,787 | 23% |
| 75,787 – 101,049 | 30.4% |
| 101,049 + | 35.5% |

**01.2 Tax residence test**

_A single active rule is enough to make you tax-resident._

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 183-day rule | exists here |  |
| Economic interest | does not exist here |  |
| Family centre | does not exist here |  |
| Habitual abode | does not exist here |  |
| Extended-stay test | exists here |  |

## Will your wealth be taxed?

Long story short: NO.
Capital gains ride free in **Chile**, and there's no annual wealth levy.

The catch waits at the funeral: *inheritance* has its own regime when the money passes down. Holding costs nothing; handing it over has a price tag.

**02.1 Investment income**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital gains | 0% | flat |
| Dividend tax | 35.5% | progressive |

| Bracket (USD) | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 0 – 11,368 | exempt |
| 11,368 – 25,262 | 4% |
| 25,262 – 42,104 | 8% |
| 42,104 – 58,946 | 13.5% |
| 58,946 – 75,787 | 23% |
| 75,787 – 101,049 | 30.4% |
| 101,049 + | 35.5% |

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Interest income | 35.5% | progressive |

| Bracket (USD) | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 0 – 11,368 | exempt |
| 11,368 – 25,262 | 4% |
| 25,262 – 42,104 | 8% |
| 42,104 – 58,946 | 13.5% |
| 58,946 – 75,787 | 23% |
| 75,787 – 101,049 | 30.4% |
| 101,049 + | 35.5% |

**02.2 Wealth & estate**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wealth tax | NONE | no annual wealth tax · no real-estate wealth tax · no net-worth assessment |
| Inheritance system | APPLIES | heir-based · 5 heir classes |

| Heir | Top rate | Allowance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spouse | 25% | CLP 43,750 |
| Children | 25% | CLP 43,750 |
| Siblings | 30% | CLP 4,375 |
| Other relatives | 30% | CLP 4,375 |
| Non-relatives | 35% | — |

**02.3 Crypto**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crypto · tax regime | PROGRESSIVE | Rate: 40% · Cryptocurrencies are classified as intangible assets (bienes incorporales) by the SII (Oficio 963/2018). Gains are treated as ordinary income and are subject to the Global Complementary Tax (Impuesto Global Complementario), a progressive tax ranging from 0% to 40%. Exchanges between different cryptocurrencies (permuta) are considered taxable events. While the Fintech Law (2023) regulates service providers, it does not exempt individuals from income tax on gains. |
| Crypto-to-crypto | TAXABLE | each swap counts as a disposal — gains realised at every trade |
| FATF travel rule | NOT SIGNED | no information-sharing obligation on VASP transfers |

## Easy to run a company there?

Long story short: NO.
Corporate tax in **Chile** is **27%**, no IP-box mercy, VAT at **19** on top.

Operationally, running a company here is fine; fiscally, the state helps itself to a fat slice of every unit of profit. You do the work, they skim the cream.

**03.1 Rates**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Corporate tax | 25 → 27% | progressive · +35% Withholding tax on distributions, remittances, or withdrawals abroad |

| Bracket (USD) | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 0 + | 25% |
| 0 + | 27% |

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VAT standard rate | 19% | single rate · no reduced tiers |

| VAT family | Category | Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food & drink | food | 19% |
| Food & drink | non-alcoholic | 19% |
| Food & drink | alcohol | 19% |
| Print media | books | 19% |
| Print media | ebooks | 19% |
| Print media | newspapers | 19% |
| Culture | cultural events | 19% |
| Culture | cinema | 19% |
| Culture | theatre | 19% |
| Culture | museums | 19% |
| Culture | sports | 19% |
| Transport | public transit | 19% |
| Transport | rail | 19% |
| Transport | air | 19% |
| Hospitality | hotels | 19% |
| Hospitality | restaurants | 19% |
| Hospitality | takeaway | 19% |
| Health | pharma | 19% |
| Health | medical dev. | 19% |
| Energy | electricity | 19% |
| Energy | natural gas | 19% |
| Energy | district heat. | 19% |
| Energy | domestic fuel | 19% |
| Utilities | water | 19% |
| Utilities | waste | 19% |
| Clothing | kids clothing | 19% |
| Digital & telecom | digital | 19% |
| Digital & telecom | telecom | 19% |
| Digital & telecom | broadcast | 19% |
| Construction | construction | 19% |
| Construction | social housing | 19% |
| Agriculture | farm inputs | 19% |
| Agriculture | animal feed | 19% |
| Personal services | funeral | 19% |
| Personal services | hairdressing | 19% |
| Finance | insurance | 19% |
| Finance | financial svc. | 19% |

**03.2 Regime & registry**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IP Box · Patent Box | NONE | no IP regime · IP income taxed under standard corporate rules |
| Misuse of corporate assets | NO CRIMINAL | no criminal liability · In Chile, the equivalent of 'Misuse of Corporate Assets' is 'Administración Desleal' (Unfaithful Administration), introduced by Law 21.121 and modified by the Economic Crimes Law (Law 21.595). This crime requires 'harm to the assets of another' (perjuicio al patrimonio ajeno). Chilean legal doctrine generally considers that if a sole shareholder is also the sole director and the company is solvent, the owner's consent precludes criminal liability because there is no third-party victim or 'other' whose assets are being harmed. Such conduct is primarily addressed through tax law (as 'gastos rechazados' or disallowed expenses under Article 21 of the Income Tax Law, carrying a 40% tax penalty) or civil liability (piercing the corporate veil). |
| Shareholders privacy | PUBLIC | Registro de Empresas y Sociedades (RES) and Diario Oficial |
| Directors privacy | PUBLIC | Registro de Empresas y Sociedades (RES) and Diario Oficial |

**03.3 Incorporation cost**

_In this country, the most standard company form is called Sociedad por Acciones (SpA) (Simplified Stock Company). The costs below are for incorporating a company in its simplest form, for reference only._

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notary Fees and Public Deed | USD 164 |  |
| Commercial Registry (CBR) Registration | USD 88 |  |
| Official Gazette (Diario Oficial) Publication | USD 77 |  |
| Professional Legal Fees (Foreigner Setup & RUT Processing) | USD 1,094 |  |
| Total | USD 1,422 |  |

## A good fit for a holding?

Long story short: NOT REALLY.
**Chile** has a *moderate* **37**-treaty network, but no participation exemption: dividends from subsidiaries land straight in the corporate schedule (**27%**).

Fine for operational subsidiaries; as a pure holding base, you're feeding the local taxman at every distribution.

**04.1 Substance & exemptions**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Territorial · individuals | WORLDWIDE | worldwide income taxation regardless of source |
| Territorial · corporates | WORLDWIDE | worldwide corporate taxation |
| Participation exemption | NONE | no dividend participation exemption regime |
| CFC rules | APPLY | Entities based in Chile must include passive income, such as dividends, interest, and royalties, generated by controlled foreign entities in their taxable income if this passive income exceeds 10% of the foreign entity's total annual revenue. |

**04.2 Withholding tax · non-resident**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WHT · dividends | 35% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · interest | 35% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · royalties | 30% | non-resident outbound |
| Tax-haven WHT | 35% | penalty rate · blacklisted destinations |

**04.3 Treaty network**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treaties signed | 37 | active |
| Treaties pending | — | in negotiation |

## Easy to come and go?

Long story short: SOME.
**Chile** taxes your worldwide income while you're resident, but at least the exit is free: *no exit tax* on the way out.

Leaving costs you paperwork, not money; your unrealised gains walk out the door with you, untouched.

**05.1 Exit & dual nationality**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exit tax | NONE | no triggers active · residence change tax-free · no deemed-disposal mechanism |
| Dual citizenship | ALLOWED | naturalised citizens may keep their existing nationality |

**05.2 Citizenship paths**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Residence | 5 years | available path to naturalisation |
| Marriage | 2 years | available path to naturalisation |
| Birth | jus soli | available path to naturalisation |
| Descent | 2 gen | available path to naturalisation |
| Investment | — | not available |

## Is your money watched?

Long story short: YES, CLOSELY.
**Chile** signed *every exchange framework that matters* and runs a *public corporate registry*. Whatever you do here (earn, hold, structure) is reported, searchable, or both.

Your money is watched from every angle; if discretion is part of your plan, this isn't your jurisdiction.

**Multilateral reporting frameworks — 4/9 active · 4 pending**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CRS | In force | 2018 |
| CARF | Signed | 2025 |
| FATCA | Signed | 2014 |
| MLI | In force | 2020 |
| BEPS | Signed | — |
| MAAC | In force | 2016 |
| GLOBAL FORUM | Signed | — |
| EOIR | In force | — |
| CRYPTO TRAVEL RULE | None | — |

## Is it blacklisted?

Long story short: NO.
**Chile** sits on no major blacklist, though it's *outside* the FATF club.

Some counterparties will run a bit of extra due diligence out of habit, but there's no formal stigma: you won't get hassled for dealing with it.

**Blacklist exposure — Clear everywhere**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EMBARGO | Clear | un / us / eu sanctions |
| FATF | Clear | grey / black list |
| EU | Clear | non-cooperative list |
| FRANCE | Clear | ETNC list |
| SPAIN | Clear | tax-haven list |
| PORTUGAL | Clear | favourable regimes |
| BRAZIL | Clear | low-tax list |

## Do you feel free there?

Long story short: PARTLY.
**Chile** sits in the *middle band* of the RSF press-freedom index (rank **\#69**): civil society functions, but the walls are real and you'll learn fast where they stand.

Crypto lives in the standard regulated tier.

**08.1 Press freedom**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Press freedom · RSF index | 69/180 | score 62 · ↓ 17 ranks year-on-year |

Central bank digital currency

    Program Status Cross-border Sources     Chile WCBDC

Transfer of tokenized assets between agents on a blockchain ledger using a wholesale CBDC as the settlement instrument.

Central Bank of Chile

   RESEARCH   —   [announce →](https://www.bcentral.cl/en/web/banco-central/content/-/detalle/chilean-economy-digital-payments-rosanna-costa "Announcement")    Chile CBDC

Improve financial inclusion

Central Bank of Chile

   RESEARCH   —   [announce →](https://www.bcentral.cl/documents/33528/133217/Informe+de+Sistemas+de+Pago+Agosto+2025+%28BCCh%29+-+Claudio+Raddatz%2C+Gerente+de+la+DPF.pdf/1a4162a9-acfd-c4d2-1611-36d514d3bb5f?t=1754405139410 "Announcement")

 programs 2

## Connected to the world?

Long story short: POORLY CONNECTED.
The two rails that matter are both dead in **Chile**. *Stripe* won't onboard you, so card payments mean a foreign structure or a local processor with its own rules. *Amazon* doesn't deliver either.

Some secondary services run (**5/11**), but for an online business this is swimming against the current.

**Accept payments — 3/6 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe | Not available | card payments |
| PayPal | Available | wallet payments |
| Adyen | Available | enterprise psp |
| Mollie | Not available | eu payments |
| GoCardless | Not available | direct debit |
| Paddle | Available | merchant of record |

**Bank and move money — 1/3 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wise | Available | multi-currency |
| Revolut | Not available | personal banking |
| Revolut Business | Not available | business banking |

**Buy and sell on Amazon — 1/2 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon | Not available | consumer delivery |
| Amazon Seller | Available | marketplace selling |

  SEE ALSO## Other jurisdictions worth comparing

Picked by similarity of strategic profile to Chile. No editorial ranking — neighbours in the same scoring space.

  PROFILE-ADJACENT Same shape, comparable overall friction.

 [   Papua New Guinea PG  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/pg) [   Zambia ZM  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/zm) [   Argentina AR  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ar)

  NOTABLY MORE FAVORABLE Same family of strategies, higher total score.

 [   Bolivia BO  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/bo) [   Albania AL  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/al) [   Switzerland CH  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ch)

  NOTABLY LESS FAVORABLE Same family of strategies, lower total score.

 [   Argentina AR  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ar) [   Dominican Republic DO  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/do) [   Uganda UG  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ug)