# Cambodia

 Country code: KH · Currency: KHR · Language: Khmer

**Pros**
- Competitive corporate tax rates and significant tax exemptions for strategic investment projects
- Extensive dollarization of the economy to minimize currency risk and simplify international transactions
- Relatively open markets with few restrictions on foreign capital and business ownership

**Cons**
- Pervasive corruption within the judiciary and bureaucracy to undermine legal protections and contract enforcement
- Inadequate infrastructure and high energy costs to increase the overall expense of doing business
- Weak rule of law and risks of arbitrary state intervention in private business activities

In Cambodia, official taxes are light, but everything gets negotiated under the table, from building permits to visa renewals. Corruption is the real local tax here, quiet and constant.

The upside: you can set up a company in three days, keep your dollars with no exchange controls, in an economy that's been running full throttle for a decade.

Other than that: decent infrastructure in Phnom Penh, rough everywhere else, a young but stable banking system thanks to the dollar, easy security in the nice neighborhoods, great food, and stunning scenery from Angkor to the coast.

  written by félix, 25 February 2026

## Will your income be taxed? YES, FAIRLY.

**Cambodia** takes an intermediate **20%** off personal income, paired with a residency test that leaves you alone.

You won't fall into the net by accident. But once you're in, the cut is no rounding error.

**01.1 Income tax**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income tax | 0 → 20% | progressive · 5 brackets |

| Bracket (USD) | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 0 – 370 | exempt |
| 371 – 494 | 5% |
| 494 – 2,099 | 10% |
| 2,100 – 3,087 | 15% |
| 3,088 + | 20% |

**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 | exists here |  |
| Extended-stay test | does not exist here |  |

## Will your wealth be taxed? NO.

**Cambodia** keeps its hands off what you hold. *No capital gains tax*, no annual wealth grab, no inheritance regime.

Your portfolio compounds in peace and leaves the way it came in; nobody's standing at the door with their palm out.

**02.1 Investment income**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital gains | NONE | progressive |
| Dividend tax | NONE | flat |
| Interest income | NONE | flat |

**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 | NONE | no estate tax · no heir-based duties · no succession tax framework. Wealth transfers across heir-classes are not taxed in this jurisdiction. Only standard probate / registration fees may apply. |

**02.3 Crypto**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crypto · tax regime | UNREGULATED | Fallback rate: 20% · Cryptocurrency trading and circulation are officially illegal without a license per the 2018 NBC/SECC/Police Joint Statement. No specific crypto tax law exists, but the General Department of Taxation applies general income tax rules (up to 20%) to all global income for residents. Capital Gains Tax (20%) is currently delayed until 2025. Source: https://www.nbc.gov.kh/download_files/news_and_events/khmer/Joint-Statement-on-Crypto-Currency-Eng.pdf |
| 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? NO.

Corporate tax in **Cambodia** is **20%**, but the rate isn't what hurts. *Misuse of corporate assets is a criminal offense*; the textbook case is the French *abus de biens sociaux*: spend your own company's money on yourself and you can end up prosecuted, even as sole shareholder, because the company is a separate legal person and your consent means nothing.

And the *registries are public*: your name as shareholder, free to browse.

For an owner-operator, those two together weigh far more than the rate, and unlike the rate they don't negotiate. Run it clean and you're fine; run it casually and you'll get burned.

**03.1 Rates**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Corporate tax | 20% | progressive |
| VAT standard rate | 10% | single rate · no reduced tiers |

| VAT family | Category | Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food & drink | food | 10% |
| Food & drink | non-alcoholic | 10% |
| Food & drink | alcohol | 10% |
| Print media | books | 10% |
| Print media | ebooks | 10% |
| Print media | newspapers | 10% |
| Culture | cultural events | 10% |
| Culture | cinema | 10% |
| Culture | theatre | 10% |
| Culture | museums | 10% |
| Culture | sports | 10% |
| Transport | public transit | 10% |
| Transport | rail | 10% |
| Transport | air | 10% |
| Hospitality | hotels | 10% |
| Hospitality | restaurants | 10% |
| Hospitality | takeaway | 10% |
| Health | pharma | 10% |
| Health | medical dev. | 10% |
| Energy | natural gas | 10% |
| Energy | district heat. | 10% |
| Energy | domestic fuel | 10% |
| Utilities | waste | 10% |
| Clothing | kids clothing | 10% |
| Digital & telecom | digital | 10% |
| Digital & telecom | telecom | 10% |
| Digital & telecom | broadcast | 10% |
| Construction | construction | 10% |
| Construction | social housing | 10% |
| Agriculture | farm inputs | 10% |
| Agriculture | animal feed | 10% |
| Personal services | funeral | 10% |
| Personal services | hairdressing | 10% |

**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 | CRIMINAL | criminal liability · Article 396 of the Penal Code (2009) · Cambodia follows the civil law principle of the 'Autonomy of the Legal Entity,' meaning a company is a distinct legal person separate from its shareholders. Under Article 396 of the Penal Code (Breach of Special Trust by a Governor or other Persons), a director or 'governor' who misappropriates company assets for personal gain or to the detriment of the entity commits a criminal offense. Because the company's patrimony is legally separate, the sole shareholder's consent does not legalize the act, as it is considered a breach of trust against the entity itself, regardless of the company's solvency. |
| Shareholders privacy | PUBLIC | Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Business Registration |
| Directors privacy | PUBLIC | Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Business Registration |

**03.3 Incorporation cost**

_In this country, the most standard company form is called ក្រុមហ៊ុនឯកជនទទួលខុសត្រូវមានកម្រិត (Private Limited Company). The costs below are for incorporating a company in its simplest form, for reference only._

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ministry of Commerce (MoC) Registration Fee | USD 532 |  |
| Company Name Reservation Fee | USD 25 |  |
| Corporate Seal and Official Stamp | USD 25 |  |
| Ministry of Labour (MLVT) Opening of Enterprise Registration | USD 49 |  |
| Initial Patent Tax (Medium Taxpayer Classification) | USD 296 |  |
| Professional Incorporation Service and Legal Fees | USD 1,482 |  |
| Total | USD 2,409 |  |

## A good fit for a holding? NOT REALLY.

**Cambodia** is a structurally weak holding base: a measly **1** treaties and no participation exemption to soften the domestic layer.

Cross-border dividends get clipped at every step of the journey. Keep walking.

**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 | NONE | no controlled foreign corporation regime · foreign-source corporate income out of scope |

**04.2 Withholding tax · non-resident**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WHT · dividends | 14% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · interest | 14% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · royalties | 14% | non-resident outbound |
| Tax-haven WHT | NONE | no punitive rate on record |

**04.3 Treaty network**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treaties signed | 1 | active |
| Treaties pending | — | in negotiation |

## Easy to come and go? SOME.

**Cambodia** 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 | 7 years | available path to naturalisation |
| Marriage | 3 years | available path to naturalisation |
| Birth | jus soli | available path to naturalisation |
| Descent | — | not available |
| Investment | — | not available |

## Is your money watched? NO.

Foreign tax offices see next to nothing of what you do in **Cambodia**: it has signed *few exchange frameworks*.

But the *corporate registries are public*: your shareholdings and directorships are one search away for anyone curious. Invisible from abroad, on display at home.

**Multilateral reporting frameworks — 2/9 active · 1 pending**

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

## Is it blacklisted? NO.

**Cambodia** 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? NO.

Press freedom in **Cambodia** is *locked down* (RSF rank **\#161**). Independent media and civic space operate under pressure (when they operate at all), and that kind of grip usually spills over into economic life too.

Small mercy: crypto isn't formally banned.

**08.1 Press freedom**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Press freedom · RSF index | 161/180 | score 28 · ↓ 10 ranks year-on-year |

Central bank digital currency

NONE

no announced CBDC program · no pilot · no retail or wholesale prototype on record

## Connected to the world? POORLY CONNECTED.

The two rails that matter are both dead in **Cambodia**. *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 (**4/11**), but for an online business this is swimming against the current.

**Accept payments — 2/6 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe | Not available | card payments |
| PayPal | Available | wallet payments |
| Adyen | Not 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 Cambodia. No editorial ranking — neighbours in the same scoring space.

  PROFILE-ADJACENT Same shape, comparable overall friction.

 [   Dominican Republic DO  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/do) [   Cape Verde CV  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/cv) [   Mayotte YT  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/yt)

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

 [   Albania AL  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/al) [   Serbia RS  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/rs) [   Kosovo XK  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/xk)

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

 [   Guinea-Bissau GW  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/gw) [   Argentina AR  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ar) [   Puerto Rico PR  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/pr)