Kiribati

Research notes

Kiribati — family-office tax dossier

Last reviewed: 2026-10-15 Tax year: 2026 Reviewer: research agent (Claude), unreviewed by a tax adviser

Summary

Kiribati (Income Tax Act 2023) taxes residents on worldwide income at up to 30% above AUD 30,000. Foreign dividends are property income at those rates with a foreign tax credit. Whether private capital gains on shares are taxed, and the rate of the final withholding on Kiribati dividends, were not found: both are left unknown. No inheritance, gift or wealth tax was found. Low confidence overall.

US citizens: US citizens remain subject to US federal income, estate and gift tax on worldwide income and assets wherever they live; the app adds the federal layer. Where local tax on portfolio income is nil there is nothing to credit against US tax.

Residence and eligibility

Income Tax Act 2023 (per the 2023 individual return instructions): resident if a permanent home is available in Kiribati, or present for periods adding up to 183 days in any 12-month period beginning or ending in the tax year, or a citizen official posted overseas. Residents are taxed on worldwide income.

• Residence permit (EU, US, OTHER): Not researched.

Capital gains

Standard regime

Not established. The 2023 return instructions tax profits on disposal of business assets (other business income) and treat 'profits on disposal or surrender of a financial instrument' as interest; whether a private investor's gains on listed shares or real estate are taxable under the Income Tax Act 2023 was not found.

• Tax year / confidence / verification: 2026 / low / unverified (checked 2026-10-15)
• JSON numbers: headline null (unknown); listed domestic null (unknown); listed foreign null (unknown); private business sale null (unknown); local real estate null (unknown); foreign real estate null (unknown).
• How derived: Unknown: the Income Tax Act 2023 text was not available online in this session; only the return instructions were read.

Dividends

Standard regime

Residents are taxed on income from all sources (return instructions, Question 19). Dividends are property income (Box 26A) taxed at resident rates: 0% to AUD 5,000, 20% to 15,000, 25% to 30,000, 30% above. Overseas tax on property income is credited separately (Q25). A dividend from a Kiribati resident company from which tax was withheld need not be returned (final withholding; rate not found).

• Exemptions and thresholds: Resident scale (2023 return): nil to AUD 5,000; 20% on 5,000-15,000; AUD 2,000 + 25% on 15,000-30,000; AUD 5,750 + 30% above 30,000. Non-residents 30% flat.
• Tax year / confidence / verification: 2026 / low / partially_verified (checked 2026-10-15)
• JSON numbers: headline 30% (0.3); domestic null (unknown); foreign gross 30% (0.3); foreign tax relief: credit.
• How derived: Foreign: top resident rate 30% before the foreign tax credit. Domestic: final withholding on Kiribati company dividends, rate not found (null).
• Outbound withholding: Not verified (MFED page links an 'International withholding tax on 30%' notice, not read).
• Treaty network: No comprehensive treaties found (not verified).

Inheritance and gifts to children

Standard regime

No inheritance, estate or gift tax found; the Ministry of Finance lists income tax, business tax and VAT/GST as the taxes the Tarawa Tax Office administers.

• Tax year / confidence / verification: 2026 / low / unverified (checked 2026-10-15)
• JSON numbers: basis none; children fully_exempt; exemption 0; brackets []; other transfer costs 0.0.
• Gift tax: No gift tax found.

Wealth tax

Standard regime

No net wealth tax found; MFED lists income tax, business tax and VAT/GST as the taxes collected.

• Tax year / confidence / verification: 2026 / low / unverified (checked 2026-10-15)
• JSON: type none.
• Property tax (not a wealth tax): Not researched.

Special regimes

None found for wealthy new residents.

Company taxation (kept separate from personal tax)

Headline rate in JSON: null (unknown). Company tax rate not verified in this session (a 2023 company return exists on tax.gov.ki but was not read).

Cost of living notes

Not sourced.

Open questions

• Kiribati capital gains treatment unknown; metric left null, so the jurisdiction cannot be fully scored.
• [standard/capital_gains] Obtain the Income Tax Act 2023 and check whether gains on capital assets (shares, land) of individuals are taxed and whether 'financial instrument' includes shares.
• [standard/dividends] Rate of the final withholding tax on dividends from Kiribati resident companies.
• [standard/dividends] 2023 is the latest return form found; 2026 rates not confirmed.
• [standard/wealth_tax] No explicit official statement found.
• [standard/inheritance] No explicit official statement found; land tenure rules for foreigners not researched.

Sources

• Individual income tax return and instructions 2023 (Income Tax Act 2023): https://tax.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Individual-income-tax-return-and-instructions-2023.pdf
• Taxation (Tarawa Tax Office): https://www.mfed.gov.ki/node/43

Change log

• 2026-10-15: initial research.