Argentina Tax Regime 2026: Income Tax, Corporate Tax, and System Explained

Argentina taxes residents on their worldwide income and taxes non-residents only on Argentine-source income. As of 2026, personal income tax runs progressively from 5% to 35%, corporate income tax is tiered at 25%, 30%, and 35%, and the whole system is administered by ARCA. A wealth tax, VAT, and provincial taxes apply on top.

What Changed Under Milei's Tax Reforms?

The structure of Argentina's tax administration changed, but the core taxes did not disappear. Under President Javier Milei, the federal tax agency AFIP was dissolved in late 2024 and replaced by a leaner body, ARCA (Agencia de Recaudacion y Control Aduanero), which took over income tax, VAT, and customs. Income tax, corporate tax, wealth tax, and VAT all remain in force.

Three changes matter most for anyone planning a move. Income tax brackets are now re-indexed to inflation every six months rather than once a year, under Ley 27.743 of 2024. The wealth tax was cut and simplified, with rates scheduled to fall to a single 0.25% by 2027 and the old surcharge on foreign-held assets removed. And a 2024 asset-regularisation program brought previously undeclared dollars, property, and crypto into the formal system. For the practical side of holding funds locally, see our guide to opening a bank account in Argentina.

How Does Argentina Determine Tax Residency?

Argentine tax residency is decided by physical presence and immigration status, not by the visa in your passport. In broad terms, a foreigner who spends more than 183 days in Argentina in a year, or who holds permanent residency, or who remains for 12 consecutive months, is treated as a tax resident and taxed on worldwide income.

Two points catch people out. The 12-consecutive-month rule in Article 116 can create residency even without hitting 183 days, and a single absence of more than 90 days resets that clock. Tax authorities can also weigh economic ties, property, and intent to remain. Immigration status and tax residency are separate questions, which is why anyone planning residency in Argentina should track days in country from the start.

How Much Is Income Tax in Argentina in 2026?

Personal income tax is progressive, running from 5% to 35% across nine brackets on net taxable income. The 35% top rate applies only at the highest band. Because Argentina re-indexes the peso thresholds to inflation twice a year, the exact figures move: as of the first-semester 2026 (January to June) scale published by ARCA, the top 35% rate begins above roughly ARS 60.75 million of semi-annual net taxable income, after deductions.

Only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate, so an effective rate is always lower than the marginal one. Employment income, business profits, and rental income are taxable, while interest on Argentine time deposits and gains on shares traded on the local exchange are largely exempt for individuals who are not habitual traders. Residents can deduct items such as medical costs, mortgage interest, and pension contributions, plus a non-taxable minimum and family allowances. Personal income tax is governed by the Ley de Impuesto a las Ganancias.

How Are Companies Taxed in Argentina?

Argentina applies a tiered corporate income tax of 25%, 30%, and 35%, based on the level of net taxable income, and the peso thresholds are also inflation-indexed. For fiscal years starting in 2026, the 25% rate applies up to roughly ARS 133.5 million, 30% up to roughly ARS 1,335 million, and 35% above that. Resident companies are taxed on worldwide income, while non-resident entities pay only on Argentine-source income. Dividends distributed to shareholders carry a 7% withholding tax unless a treaty reduces it. Companies are a tax resident where they are incorporated in Argentina.

How Is Capital Gains Tax Applied?

For residents, most capital gains are taxed at a flat 15%. This covers profits on the sale of shares, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and real estate acquired after 1 January 2018. A key exemption applies to shares traded on the Buenos Aires exchange (BYMA) or acquired through a local IPO, which are exempt when the seller is an individual who does not trade habitually.

Non-residents selling Argentine assets are generally taxed at 13.5% on gross proceeds when no cost basis is declared, or 15% on the actual net gain with proper documentation. Real estate bought before 1 January 2018 is not caught by the 15% gains rule; instead a separate transfer tax of 1.5% of the sale price applies. US citizens must also report these gains to the IRS, since there is no bilateral treaty, though foreign tax credits can offset the double charge.

What Is the Wealth Tax (Bienes Personales)?

Bienes Personales is Argentina's annual net wealth tax, and it is one of the few individual wealth taxes still in force worldwide. Residents are taxed on worldwide assets held on 31 December, above a non-taxable minimum. For the 2025 period filed in 2026, that minimum sits near ARS 384.7 million, and a family home is exempt up to a much higher separate threshold near ARS 1,346 million.

The 2024 reform reshaped this tax in two important ways. It merged the rates so that domestic and foreign assets are treated the same, removing the old surcharge on offshore holdings, and it set the scale on a downward path from a range of 0.5% to 1.0% today toward a single 0.25% rate by 2027. A voluntary advance-payment regime known as REIBP let eligible taxpayers prepay through 2027 and lock in stability, which can remove the annual filing entirely for those who opted in. Foreigners working in Argentina for under five years are taxed only on their Argentine-situated assets. Current rates are published by ARCA.

How Is Crypto Taxed in Argentina?

Argentina treats cryptocurrencies as intangible assets and applies existing tax categories rather than a dedicated crypto law. Selling crypto for fiat or swapping one token for another can trigger capital gains tax, holdings form part of the Bienes Personales base, and income from mining, staking, or frequent trading is added to the general income tax base at rates from 5% to 35%. VAT is not currently charged on crypto transactions.

A 2024 asset-regularisation program let residents declare crypto with a portion tax-free, and it brought a reported multi-billion-dollar wave of holdings into the system. As of 2026, oversight is tightening: the securities regulator (CNV) has increased reporting scrutiny, and Argentina is aligning with the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, which will widen automatic information exchange. Enforcement still lags behind, since many holders use self-custody and foreign platforms, but the direction is toward more disclosure, not less.

What Property and Consumption Taxes Apply?

The main consumption tax is VAT, at a standard 21%, with a reduced 10.5% rate on some goods and services and a 27% rate on certain utilities. On top of that sit subnational taxes that vary by location. Provinces levy an annual property tax (Impuesto Inmobiliario) on the fiscal value of land and buildings, and a gross revenue tax (Ingresos Brutos) on business activity, while municipalities charge service fees.

Property tax is administered provincially. In Buenos Aires Province it is run by ARBA on a progressive scale tied to fiscal valuation, and in the City of Buenos Aires it is merged with the municipal ABL charge covering lighting, cleaning, and waste. Many provinces revalued property upward across 2025 and 2026 to close the gap with market values, which raised bills for owners and investors. These obligations apply regardless of residency status, so foreign owners are liable in the same way as residents.

How Are US Expats Taxed in Argentina?

US citizens in Argentina face two systems at once, because the United States taxes by citizenship and there is no Argentina to US tax treaty. That means filing a US return every year on worldwide income, whatever Argentina also collects. The tools that reduce the double charge are the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, the Foreign Tax Credit, and foreign account reporting.

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) lets qualifying Americans exclude up to USD 132,900 of foreign-earned income for tax year 2026, filed in 2027, provided eligibility and the form are handled correctly. The Foreign Tax Credit (FTC) allows a dollar-for-dollar credit for Argentine income tax paid against US tax on the same income. Separately, foreign accounts often trigger FBAR and Form 8938 disclosures. Because the two systems do not line up, cross-border cases are best reviewed with a professional qualified in both.

How Does the Citizenship-by-Investment Tax Carve-Out Work?

Argentina created a citizenship-by-investment route by Decree 524/2025 in July 2025, letting qualifying investors naturalise without the usual residency period. A separate labor-reform law, Law 27,802, added Article 194, which amended Article 116 of the Income Tax Law so that obtaining citizenship this way does not by itself make the investor an Argentine tax resident.

The carve-out is narrower than it sounds. It addresses only Argentine tax exposure, so an investor's home country continues to tax under its own rules, and the 12-consecutive-month presence rule still creates residency if the investor actually spends the time in country. The provision is also legislatively approved rather than automatically live: activation timing sits with the Ministry of Economy, and the program's implementing regulations were still pending in 2026. Our Argentina citizenship by investment guide tracks the program's status.

Common Tax Mistakes to Avoid

Most cross-border tax problems in Argentina come from a few avoidable errors:

• Assuming that moving abroad ends US filing obligations. US citizens report worldwide income to the IRS regardless of where they live.
• Misreading the residency trigger and passing 12 consecutive months without realising it starts worldwide-income taxation.
• Failing to report foreign income, such as freelance work or rental income, once classified as an Argentine resident.
• Assuming an Argentina to US treaty exists and is protecting against double taxation. It does not exist.
• Missing foreign-account disclosures such as FBAR and Form 8938, even for accounts held in Argentina.

Victoria Cold, European Attorney at Golden Harbors, notes: "The mistake we see most often with Argentina is treating tax residency and immigration status as one thing. They run on different rules, and it is the quiet day count, not the visa in the passport, that creates a worldwide-income liability."

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does Argentina Decide If I Am a Tax Resident?

Argentina looks at physical presence and immigration status. Spending more than 183 days in a year, holding permanent residency, or remaining 12 consecutive months generally makes you a tax resident, taxed on worldwide income. Under Article 116, a single absence over 90 consecutive days can reset the 12-month count, so day tracking matters.

Are Residents Taxed on Worldwide Income in Argentina?

Yes. Argentine tax residents are taxed on income earned anywhere in the world, while non-residents pay tax only on Argentine-source income. Taxation follows residency, not citizenship, so how you acquired citizenship does not change the rule. The 5% to 35% progressive scale then applies to net taxable income after deductions.

How Much Is the Wealth Tax in Argentina?

The wealth tax, Bienes Personales, applies to worldwide assets held on 31 December above a non-taxable minimum near ARS 384.7 million for the 2025 period filed in 2026. Rates run on one unified scale from 0.5% to 1.0% and are scheduled to fall to a single 0.25% by 2027. A family home is exempt up to a higher separate threshold.

How Is Cryptocurrency Taxed in Argentina?

Argentina treats crypto as an intangible asset rather than under a dedicated law. Selling or swapping crypto can trigger capital gains tax, holdings count toward the Bienes Personales wealth tax base, and mining, staking, or frequent trading income is taxed at the progressive 5% to 35% rates. VAT is not charged on crypto transactions as of 2026.

Do US Citizens in Argentina Still File US Taxes?

Yes. The United States taxes by citizenship and has no tax treaty with Argentina, so US citizens file a US return on worldwide income every year. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit reduce double taxation, and foreign accounts often require FBAR and Form 8938 reporting. Cross-border filing is best handled with a professional qualified in both systems.

Does Argentine Citizenship by Investment Trigger Tax on My Worldwide Income?

Not by itself. Article 194 of Law 27,802 provides that naturalising through the investment route does not automatically make you an Argentine tax resident. However, the 12-consecutive-month presence rule still applies if you spend the time in country, your home country taxes under its own rules, and the provision's activation timing rests with the Ministry of Economy.

Does Article 194 Apply to People Who Already Hold Argentine Citizenship?

No. The carve-out is tied specifically to citizenship obtained through the investment route under the amended Citizenship Law. People who became citizens by residency, by descent, or by marriage remain under the general tax-residency rules of Article 116 of the Income Tax Law, based on physical presence and immigration status.

How Golden Harbors Helps

Golden Harbors guides internationally mobile clients through the move to Argentina, from choosing the right residency or investment route to sequencing the relocation so immigration status and the tax-residency day count are planned together rather than discovered later. The team coordinates the paperwork, timelines, and local partners, and maps how each step sets up permanent residency and, in time, citizenship. Golden Harbors does not provide tax filing, and cross-border tax questions are referred to qualified advisers in the relevant jurisdictions.