---
title: "Cayman Islands tax for new residents 2026: No direct taxes"
url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/cayman-islands/tax/
lang: en
updated: 2026-10-10
---

# Cayman Islands tax

Foreign-source income of residents: No direct taxes. No special regime for new residents in our records.

Checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/)

## Standard rules and foreign-source income

Standard rules

### Cayman Islands: no direct taxation

No direct taxes

Foreign-source income: No direct taxes

**Details**

- On: No income tax base exists
- Limit: KYD 300k ≈ $360k

The Cayman Islands Government states there are no direct taxes in the Cayman Islands: no income tax, company or corporation tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax or gift tax, so foreign-source income of residents is not subject to an income tax. (source 1)

#### Taxed on

No income tax base exists. Government revenue is raised through duties and fees: stamp duty of 7.5% in most areas on the value of real estate at sale (reduced rates for Caymanians) and a mortgage fee of 1% on mortgages below CI$300,000 and 1.5% at CI$300,000 or higher.

#### Who it applies to

- Applies to all individuals; no direct taxes on income exist.

#### Exclusions

- No property taxes or rates (GOV.KY).
- Stamp duty on real estate transfers, mortgage fees and import duties still apply.

#### Limits

- KYD 300,000 (≈ $360,000) · Mortgage fee is 1% below this amount and 1.5% at or above it

#### Tax residence

No residence test is required because no income tax is levied.

#### Visas

Immigration status (work permits, residency certificates) does not alter the absence of income tax.

#### Other taxes

Customs duty applies to imported goods; stamp duty 7.5% on real estate sales in most areas (GOV.KY).

Checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/)

## VAT, social security and other taxes

- Customs duty applies to imported goods; stamp duty 7.5% on real estate sales in most areas (GOV.KY).

## Questions people ask

### Is foreign-source income taxed in Cayman Islands?

No direct taxes. The Cayman Islands Government states there are no direct taxes in the Cayman Islands: no income tax, company or corporation tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax or gift tax, so foreign-source income of residents is not subject to an income tax.

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

**Sources (1)**

## Official sources

1. [Economy: Taxes (Cayman Islands Government, GOV.KY)](https://cigarchives.gov.ky/economy) · Cayman Islands Government · checked 2026-10-10