Headline figures as generally published, reviewed October 2026. For information only.
Buyers ask us the same question in every market: what will this actually cost to buy, to hold, and to leave behind. What follows is the headline position in each of the markets we cover, written plainly and without the arithmetic, because the arithmetic depends on who you are and belongs to your own adviser.
The markets differ more than people expect. A low purchase cost can sit alongside a meaningful annual one; somewhere with no income tax may still reach a family on death. It is worth reading past your own market.
United Kingdom
A mature, heavily documented market. Most of the cost sits at purchase, and UK property stays within UK tax wherever the owner lives.
On purchase: Stamp Duty Land Tax, charged in bands on the price. Buyers who are not UK resident pay a 2% surcharge; an additional property, or a purchase by a company, carries a further surcharge. Scotland and Wales levy their own equivalent taxes at their own rates.
Each year: council tax, set by the local authority against the property’s band.
On letting: rental income is taxable in the UK whether or not you live here, after allowable expenses.
On sale: capital gains tax applies to non-resident owners of UK residential property.
On death: UK property falls within the scope of UK inheritance tax wherever the owner is resident or domiciled.
Spain
Costs differ by region and by whether the home is new or resale, so two similar purchases can carry noticeably different tax.
On purchase, resale: transfer tax (ITP), set by each autonomous region, so the rate in Andalusia differs from Madrid or Catalonia.
On purchase, new build: 10% VAT, plus stamp duty (AJD) at the regional rate.
Each year: IBI, a municipal property tax based on the cadastral value.
On letting: non-residents pay Spanish income tax on rental income. A second home that is not let is still taxed on a notional imputed income.
On sale: capital gains tax, plus the municipal plusvalía. A percentage of the price is withheld from a non-resident seller and paid to the authorities on account.
Some regions levy a wealth tax on assets above a threshold.
Sultanate of Oman
Foreign ownership is freehold within designated Integrated Tourism Complexes. Costs are low and concentrated at purchase, with a personal income tax arriving in 2028.
No tax on owning the home: no stamp duty and no annual tax on residential property.
On purchase: a one-off registration fee of about 3% of the price, paid to the Ministry of Housing when title is registered.
No inheritance tax: heirs inherit under the law of the owner’s home country.
No personal income tax today: rental income and sale proceeds are currently free of personal income tax.
From January 2028: a 5% personal income tax applies only to annual income above OMR 42,000 (about US$109,000). Rental income counts towards that threshold after allowable expenses. Selling a primary residence is exempt; selling a second residence is exempt once in a lifetime. The detailed rules sit in the Executive Regulations.
On letting: a municipal tax of about 3% of gross rental income.
United Arab Emirates
No personal income tax, and the cost of ownership sits in transfer fees at purchase and service charges thereafter.
On purchase, Dubai: a Land Department transfer fee of 4% of the price, plus registration and trustee fees. In Abu Dhabi the registration fee is 2%.
Each year: no property tax. Owners pay service charges set for each building.
On letting: no personal income tax, so rental income from a home held personally is not taxed in the UAE.
On sale: no capital gains tax on personal property.
On death: no inheritance tax, but succession is governed by UAE rules unless a registered will directs otherwise. Registering one matters more here than the tax does.
Off-plan payments in Dubai are held in an escrow account regulated by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency and released as construction progresses.
Saudi Arabia
A market opening to foreign buyers under new legislation, with tax concentrated in a single transaction charge.
On purchase: Real Estate Transaction Tax (RETT) of 5% of the transaction value, generally the seller’s liability but negotiable in practice.
Each year: no personal property tax on a home. White land tax applies to undeveloped land in designated urban areas.
On letting and on sale: no personal income tax and no capital gains tax on personal property.
Foreign ownership rules are being widened under new legislation with designated zones and conditions. Eligibility should be confirmed for the specific scheme before anything is committed.
Gibraltar
British legal familiarity with a distinct and deliberately light tax position, which is much of the appeal.
No VAT, no capital gains tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax.
On purchase: stamp duty charged by value, with relief available to first and second-time buyers of a main home.
Each year: general rates on the property.
Category 2 residency caps tax on worldwide income for approved individuals, subject to conditions that include holding approved accommodation in Gibraltar.
United States
Florida levies no state income tax, but federal tax still applies, and two federal rules catch international buyers who were not expecting them.
On purchase: documentary stamp tax on the deed, plus title and recording costs.
Each year: property tax set by the county against assessed value, which is a meaningful running cost rather than a nominal one.
On letting: rental income is taxable federally and a non-resident owner files a US return. Florida itself charges no state income tax.
On sale: under FIRPTA, a percentage of the gross price is withheld from a foreign seller and remitted to the IRS, then credited against the final liability. It is withholding, not an extra tax, but it affects what reaches you on completion.
On death: US-situs assets can fall within federal estate tax for non-resident aliens at a far lower exemption than applies to US citizens. This is the one that most often surprises people, and it is worth structuring for before buying rather than after.
Headline figures as generally published, for information only. Each buyer's position depends on their own circumstances; the final calculation belongs to their own solicitor or adviser. Rules change, and the figures above were last reviewed in October 2026.
