Queenstown, New Zealand
Exit tax · New Zealand

Leaving New Zealand.

No general exit tax and no general capital gains tax. You stop being resident after more than 325 days away in any 12 months with no permanent home in New Zealand. After that New Zealand taxes only New Zealand source income, the foreign investment fund rules stop applying, and New Zealand residential property sold within 2 years of purchase is still caught by the bright line test. The exception: if you elected the revenue account method for unlisted foreign shares held before arrival, open to migrants and returning New Zealanders, leaving deems those shares sold at market value, and the gain is taxed, 70% of it at your marginal rate, on shares you actually sell within 3 years of leaving.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 30 October 2026 · 8 min read
Rate on unrealized gains None at departure no deemed disposal on departure
Deferral See below
Addresses with no capital gains tax 39 of the 100 on the board
Trigger Loss of tax residence the departure date is tested under local rules

What the charge looks like on your number.

New Zealand charges nothing on departure. A sale after the move is taxed under the rules of the new residence. 39 of the addresses on the board levy no personal capital gains tax on a resident disposal.

Official source: Inland Revenue New Zealand. Checked against it on .

Deferral.

For revenue account method shares, the departure gain is taxed only on a sale within 3 years of leaving.

Addresses with no capital gains tax.

Abu Dhabi, UAE🇦🇪 Abu DhabiUAE · effective tax 0% on $1MAndorra la Vella🇦🇩 Andorra la VellaAndorra · effective tax 10% on $1MAnguilla🇦🇮 AnguillaAnguilla · effective tax 0% on $1MAthens, Greece🇬🇷 AthensGreece · effective tax 43% on $1MBora Bora, French Polynesia🇵🇫 Bora BoraFrench Polynesia · effective tax 25% on $1MChristophe Harbour, St Kitts and Nevis🇰🇳 Christophe HarbourSt Kitts and Nevis · effective tax 0% on $1MDubai, UAE🇦🇪 DubaiUAE · effective tax 0% on $1MGeneva, Switzerland🇨🇭 GenevaSwitzerland · effective tax 40% on $1MGeorge Town, Cayman Islands🇰🇾 George TownCayman Islands · effective tax 0% on $1MGibraltar🇬🇮 GibraltarGibraltar · effective tax 6% on $1MGstaad, Switzerland🇨🇭 GstaadSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MHong Kong🇭🇰 Hong KongHong Kong SAR · effective tax 15% on $1MHvar, Croatia🇭🇷 HvarCroatia · effective tax 29% on $1MJersey🇯🇪 JerseyJersey · effective tax 20% on $1MLimassol, Cyprus🇨🇾 LimassolCyprus · effective tax 34% on $1MLucerne, Switzerland🇨🇭 LucerneSwitzerland · effective tax 28% on $1MLugano, Switzerland🇨🇭 LuganoSwitzerland · effective tax 35% on $1MLuxembourg🇱🇺 LuxembourgLuxembourg · effective tax 43% on $1MMonaco🇲🇨 MonacoMonaco · effective tax 0% on $1MMontreux, Switzerland🇨🇭 MontreuxSwitzerland · effective tax 41% on $1MMykonos, Greece🇬🇷 MykonosGreece · effective tax 43% on $1MNassau, Bahamas🇧🇸 NassauBahamas · effective tax 0% on $1MPanama City🇵🇦 Panama CityPanama · effective tax 0% on $1MPlatinum Coast, Barbados🇧🇧 Platinum CoastBarbados · effective tax 27% on $1MPrague, Czech Republic🇨🇿 PragueCzech Republic · effective tax 22% on $1MProvidenciales, Turks and Caicos🇹🇨 ProvidencialesTurks and Caicos · effective tax 0% on $1MPunta del Este, Uruguay🇺🇾 Punta del EsteUruguay · effective tax 0% on $1MQueenstown, New Zealand🇳🇿 QueenstownNew Zealand · effective tax 38% on $1MSingapore🇸🇬 SingaporeSingapore · effective tax 21% on $1MSt John's, Antigua and Barbuda🇦🇬 St John'sAntigua and Barbuda · effective tax 0% on $1MSt. Moritz, Switzerland🇨🇭 St. MoritzSwitzerland · effective tax 28% on $1MTucker's Town, Bermuda🇧🇲 Tucker's TownBermuda · effective tax 11% on $1MVaduz, Liechtenstein🇱🇮 VaduzLiechtenstein · effective tax 18% on $1MValletta, Malta🇲🇹 VallettaMalta · effective tax 34% on $1MVerbier, Switzerland🇨🇭 VerbierSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MVirgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands🇻🇬 Virgin GordaBritish Virgin Islands · effective tax 0% on $1MZermatt, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZermattSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MZug, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZugSwitzerland · effective tax 21% on $1MZurich, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZurichSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1M
Questions

Is there an exit tax when you leave New Zealand?

No general exit tax and no general capital gains tax.

You stop being resident after more than 325 days away in any 12 months with no permanent home in New Zealand. After that New Zealand taxes only New Zealand source income, the foreign investment fund rules stop applying, and New Zealand residential property sold within 2 years of purchase is still caught by the bright line test. The exception: if you elected the revenue account method for unlisted foreign shares held before arrival, open to migrants and returning New Zealanders, leaving deems those shares sold at market value, and the gain is taxed, 70% of it at your marginal rate, on shares you actually sell within 3 years of leaving.

Can the New Zealand exit tax be deferred?

For revenue account method shares, the departure gain is taxed only on a sale within 3 years of leaving.

Which addresses on the board levy no capital gains tax?

39 of the 100 addresses on the board levy no personal capital gains tax on listed securities, among them Abu Dhabi, Andorra la Vella, Anguilla, Athens, Bora Bora, Christophe Harbour.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, New Zealand exit tax 2026: leaving New Zealand, patrician.ch/exit-tax/new-zealand/, October 2026.

Your own portfolio, on your own numbers: the exit tax calculator.

Where the same income keeps more once you have left: moving from New Zealand.

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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. Figures are for a non-US single filer. Wealth tax, an exit and your passports are added when you run the engine on your own numbers. Not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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