Lebanon

{"ftc_utility":"low","fbar_trigger_notes":"US expats with Lebanese bank accounts exceeding $10,000 aggregate at any point in the year must file FinCEN Form 114. Lebanon's banking sector has been in severe crisis since 2019, with capital controls restricting withdrawals. Expats should document account values carefully given currency distortions between official and parallel exchange rates. Multiple accounts at different Lebanese banks are common and each must be tracked for FBAR purposes.","ftc_utility_reason":"Lebanon's top marginal income tax rate is 25%, which is below the US top rate, so the Foreign Tax Credit provides partial but not full offset for high earners. Additionally, the Lebanese tax base for employed expats may be narrower than the US base, limiting the FTC credit available. The ongoing economic collapse and currency crisis mean many expats receive compensation in USD outside the Lebanese system, reducing Lebanese tax withheld and thus FTC value. FEIE is often more practical for most expats.","presence_day_count_notes":"Lebanon does not impose strict visa duration limits on US citizens for short stays (typically 1-month entry stamp, renewable). Long-term residence requires a residency permit. The State Department currently rates Lebanon at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) and previously Level 4, which may complicate establishing bona fide residence in practice. Day-count tracking is not technically complicated by visa rules but the security environment is a practical concern.","typical_qualifying_method":"either","housing_exclusion_available":true,"physical_presence_test_applies":true,"estimated_housing_exclusion_usd":16800,"local_tax_rate_on_earned_income":0.25,"bona_fide_residence_test_applies":true}

{"pension_income":{"notes":"Foreign-source pension income is generally not subject to Lebanese income tax for residents. Lebanese income tax applies primarily to income earned within Lebanon. End-of-service indemnities paid under Lebanese law by Lebanese employers have specific exemption thresholds.","tax_rate":null,"locally_taxed":false},"social_security":{"notes":"No US-Lebanon tax treaty exists. US Social Security benefits paid to a Lebanon resident are US-source income and are not taxed in Lebanon. Lebanon operates its own National Social Security Fund (NSSF) system separately.","locally_taxed":false,"treaty_protection":false},"roth_distributions":{"notes":"Roth IRA distributions are US-source and not subject to Lebanese income tax. No treaty framework exists, but Lebanese tax administration does not assess foreign-source retirement income for resident individuals in practice.","locally_taxed":false},"us_401k_ira_distributions":{"notes":"Lebanon and the United States have no bilateral income tax treaty. US-source retirement distributions (401k, IRA) received by a US expat resident in Lebanon are generally not subject to Lebanese income tax because Lebanon taxes employment and business income sourced within Lebanon. Foreign-source pension income received by residents is generally outside the scope of Lebanese territorial-leaning income tax rules, though the system is not purely territorial. In practice, US retirement distributions are not assessed by Lebanese tax authorities.","tax_rate":null,"locally_taxed":false,"treaty_protection":false}}

{"rate":0.15,"notes":"Lebanon does not have a standalone capital gains tax. Gains on disposal of built property are subject to a flat 15% real estate transfer tax. Gains from securities trading by individuals are generally exempt or subject to limited withholding.","details":{"tax_type":"Capital Gains Tax","country_name":"Lebanon","country_iso_code":"LBN","source_references":["PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries - Lebanon","Lebanese Tax Law (Decree-Law No. 144/1959 and amendments)"],"last_verified_date":"2026-06-03","general_description":"Lebanon has no general capital gains tax on individuals. Real property disposals are subject to a 15% transfer tax on the gain. Gains from the sale of shares in Lebanese joint-stock companies are exempt from income tax for individuals. Corporate gains are included in taxable income subject to the 17% corporate income tax rate.","corporate_capital_gains":{"rate":0.17,"tax_treatment":"Included in ordinary taxable income and subject to the standard 17% corporate income tax rate."},"individual_capital_gains":{"rate":0.15,"tax_treatment":"No general CGT. Real property gains taxed at 15% flat rate via built property transfer tax. Share disposals by individuals are generally exempt."}}}

{"notes":"Dividends distributed by Lebanese companies to individual shareholders are subject to a 10% withholding tax. This is a final tax at the level of the individual recipient. Dividends paid to non-resident shareholders are also subject to 10% withholding.","rates":[{"rate":0.1,"type":"withholding","notes":"Final withholding tax on dividends paid to resident and non-resident individuals from Lebanese joint-stock companies."}]}