Relocation intelligence
🇸🇽 Moving to Sintmārtena: tax, residency and cost of living
Residents are taxed on their worldwide income under a progressive scale from 12.5% to 47.5%. A basic tax credit of ANG 2,332 applies. Employees pay AOV/AWW social premiums of 6.5% (deductible) plus roughly 4.2% for the ZV health insurance. The effective burden on income equal to EUR 54,000 sits around 30%. There is no capital gains tax on private assets and no net wealth tax. Corporate profit is taxed at 34.5% and a turnover tax TOT/BBO of 5% applies instead of VAT.
Thinking of moving to Sintmārtena? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.
Key facts
- Top income tax
- 47.5%
- Corporate tax
- 34.5%
- Capital gains
- 0%
- Wealth tax
- No
- Inheritance tax
- Yes
- Cost of living index
- 68
- Safety
- 6/10
- Internet quality
- 6/10
- Visa-free destinations
- 189
- Foreigners can own property
- Yes
- Residency in
- 6 months
- Citizenship in
- 5 years
Taxes
Residents are taxed on their worldwide income under a progressive scale from 12.5% to 47.5%. A basic tax credit of ANG 2,332 applies. Employees pay AOV/AWW social premiums of 6.5% (deductible) plus roughly 4.2% for the ZV health insurance. The effective burden on income equal to EUR 54,000 sits around 30%. There is no capital gains tax on private assets and no net wealth tax. Corporate profit is taxed at 34.5% and a turnover tax TOT/BBO of 5% applies instead of VAT. Succession and gift tax does exist.
Residency and visas
As a country within the Kingdom, Dutch nationals have easier access to settling on Sint Maarten. Other nationalities need a residence permit or admission, often tied to work, a business or sufficient own means. Anyone who becomes a resident falls under taxation on worldwide income.
Property ownership
Foreigners may acquire full freehold ownership of real estate, with no general ban on foreign ownership. This makes buying a home or investment property accessible, though transfer costs and notarial formalities apply.
Cost of living and quality of life
Sint Maarten has a tropical climate, a tourism-driven economy and an international feel. English is widely spoken alongside Dutch, which eases the transition for many newcomers. The island is shared with French Saint-Martin, so two cultures sit side by side.
Passport and mobility
Residents travel on the passport of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a strong travel document with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 189 destinations. Sint Maarten sits on a busy hub in the northeastern Caribbean with direct links to North America and Europe.
Why people move to Sintmārtena
Strong Kingdom passport with a Caribbean base
Residents travel on the Dutch Kingdom passport and combine a tropical base with visa-free access to roughly 189 destinations.
No capital gains or wealth tax
Private capital gains stay untaxed and there is no net wealth tax, which makes the island attractive for those building or holding capital.
Honest trade-offs
- De kosten van levensonderhoud zijn hoog omdat vrijwel alle goederen worden geïmporteerd, waardoor voeding, energie en huisvesting duurder zijn dan in Nederland.
- Inwoners worden belast op hun wereldwijde inkomen, dus buitenlandse inkomsten en pensioenen vallen ook onder de progressieve heffing tot 47,5%.
- De veiligheidssituatie vraagt oplettendheid: het reisadvies wijst op criminaliteit zoals inbraak en straatroof, en na orkanen kan de infrastructuur kwetsbaar zijn.
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