The Atlas · 13 market dossiers45 articlesOfficial sources checked 28 September 2026
An independent guide to prime property
The price is the part everyone negotiates.
Pinnacle Mansion is about everything that comes with it — the taxes, the rules on who may buy, the residency routes, the running costs and the life — in thirteen of the world’s most sought-after property markets. We do not sell houses. We explain how buying one works.
By Thomas Lovas Lokoy, Co-founder & Editor · Updated 28 September 2026
The Atlas
Thirteen markets, one set of questions
- 01MonacoRegistration duty on a sale: 4.5% or 7.5%
- 02The French RivieraDuties on an existing home: 6.31% + 0.10%
- 03The Swiss AlpsForeign buyers: Authorisation required
- 04LondonStamp Duty Land Tax, top band: 12% above £1.5m
- 05Lisbon & the Portuguese CoastTransfer tax (IMT), non-resident buyer: 7.5% flat
- 06Mallorca & IbizaTransfer tax on a resale (ITP): 8% – 13%
- 07Lake Como & TuscanyRegistration tax, buying from a private seller: 9%
- 08New York CityBuyer's 'mansion tax' at $1m+: 1% – 3.9%
- 09MiamiDocumentary stamp tax, Miami-Dade: $0.60 per $100
- 10Los Angeles & MalibuCity of LA transfer tax + Measure ULA: 4.45% or 5.95%
- 11DubaiDubai Land Department fee: 4%
- 12SingaporeAdditional Buyer's Stamp Duty, foreigners: 60%
- 13Athens Riviera & the CycladesTransfer tax on a resale: 3%
The change log
What changed for buyers
Property rules move more often than brochures admit. These are the changes since 2025 that alter the arithmetic of buying in the markets we cover — each dated, each linked to the official source and to the dossier that explains it.
GreeceAnnounced: 15% transfer tax for non-EU buyers
The Government announced a rise from 3% to 15% on homes bought by non-EU citizens. No start date was given.
Los AngelesMeasure ULA thresholds rise to $5.4m and $10.9m
For City of LA transactions closing after 30 June 2026: 4% above $5.4m, 5.5% at $10.9m or more.
PortugalFlat 7.5% IMT for non-resident home buyers
Decree-Law 97/2026: no exemption or reduction when a non-resident buys a home; refundable in defined cases.
United StatesFinCEN residential reporting rule vacated
A federal court vacated the rule; reporting is not currently required, and FinCEN has appealed.
ItalyNew-resident flat tax rises to €300,000
For people moving to Italy from 1 January 2026, the annual substitute tax on foreign income is €300,000.
SingaporeSeller's Stamp Duty extended to four years
For homes bought from 4 July 2025: 16% if sold within a year, falling to nothing after four years.
LondonRemittance basis replaced by a four-year regime
New UK residents after ten years abroad may use the four-year foreign income and gains regime.
SpainInvestor visa abolished
Organic Law 1/2025, in force from 3 April 2025, emptied the investor-visa articles; existing permits may still be renewed.
From the Journal
Read before you buy
Buying
Branded Residences Explained: Contracts, Costs, Rental Programmes and Resale
A branded residence attaches a hotel or fashion-house name, service and management to a private home. How the contracts work, what the charges buy, how rental programmes pay, and what limits your resale.
10 min read · Updated 30 September 2026
Tax & Structure
Stamp Duty and Transfer Taxes: The Tax You Pay Just for Buying
Transfer taxes are charged on the transaction itself, due at completion, and rarely financeable. They are also the cost most often left out of the budget until it is too late to plan around.
Owning
The Purchase Price Is the Cheap Part
Part 1 of 3. Trophy property is bought on the headline figure and owned on the annual one. What actually recurs, and why the ratio surprises first-time buyers at this level.
Buying
Off-Market Property: How Unlisted Sales Actually Work
Some prime homes change hands without a public listing. How that channel works, who operates it, and why buying with less public information calls for more diligence, not less.
Compare
The Buyer's Ledger
| Market | Foreign buyers | Buying: main taxes | Holding | Residency through property | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Monaco | No foreign-buyer restriction stated in official guidance | Registration duty 4.5%–7.5% (1% where VAT applies) | No annual property, wealth or council tax | Residence card on housing and sufficient means — buying is one way to show housing | 6 sources |
| 02 The French Riviera | No foreign-buyer authorisation named by the notaries' guidance | Duties about 6.3% on a resale + notary fees; 20% VAT on new builds | Taxe foncière; taxe d'habitation on second homes; IFI above €1.3m | No residence route through property found | 9 sources |
| 03 The Swiss Alps | Cantonal authorisation (Lex Koller); holiday homes only in designated resorts, within quotas | Notary, land-register and any transfer taxes set by each canton | Cantonal wealth tax and local property levies | No route through property; lump-sum taxation exists in many cantons | 7 sources |
| 04 London | Individuals may buy; overseas companies must first register with Companies House | SDLT to 12%, +5% additional home, +2% non-resident; 17% for some companies | Council tax; ATED on company-held dwellings over £500k | No route through property | 10 sources |
| 05 Lisbon & the Portuguese Coast | Open; a tax number (NIF) first, and a fiscal representative for many non-EU buyers | IMT 7.5% flat for non-resident home buyers + 0.8% stamp duty | IMI 0.3%–0.45%; AIMI above €600k per person | Golden visa excludes real estate | 8 sources |
| 06 Mallorca & Ibiza | Open; a foreigner's identity number (NIE) is needed first | ITP 8%–13% on resales; 10% VAT + 1.5–2% stamp duty on new builds | Imputed-income tax for non-residents; wealth tax above €700k exemption | Investor visa abolished by Organic Law 1/2025 | 10 sources |
| 07 Lake Como & Tuscany | Commonly open; confirm nationality-based reciprocity with the notary | 9% registration tax on cadastral value (private seller); VAT from developers | IMU on second homes, 0.86% base | No property route; €300k flat tax for new residents | 6 sources |
| 08 New York City | No general federal bar found; single homes are outside CFIUS review | Mansion tax 1%–3.9% (buyer); RPTT 1.425% and state 0.4–0.65% (seller) | City property tax by class | No route through property; EB-5 is a separate investment programme | 11 sources |
| 09 Miami | Generally open; Florida restricts buyers domiciled in China (s. 692.204) | Doc stamp $0.60/$100 + $0.45 surtax (Miami-Dade, non-single-family) | County property tax; homestead relief for permanent residents only | No route through property; EB-5 is separate | 10 sources |
| 10 Los Angeles & Malibu | No general federal bar found; single homes are outside CFIUS review | City of LA: 0.45% + ULA 4%–5.5% over $5.4m; county $1.10/$1,000 | Prop 13: 1% plus bonds, assessed value capped at +2% a year | No route through property; EB-5 is separate | 10 sources |
| 11 Dubai | Freehold in designated areas | DLD fee 4% (2% + 2%, split by agreement) + title-deed fees | No personal income tax; tenancy contracts registered through Ejari | Golden visa from AED 2m of property | 10 sources |
| 12 Singapore | Condominiums open; landed property needs SLA approval (incl. Sentosa Cove) | BSD to 6% + ABSD 60% for foreigners | Property tax 12%–36% of annual value if not owner-occupied | No route through property found | 5 sources |
| 13 Athens Riviera & the Cyclades | Open, but non-EU buyers need approval in designated border areas | Transfer tax 3% (15% announced for non-EU buyers) | ENFIA annual property tax | Golden visa from €250k–€800k by area | 8 sources |
The departments
Buying, owning, living
Markets
Market dossiers: who may buy, what it costs, how it works
Buying
Structures, branded residences, off-market deals and residency
Tax & Structure
What you pay to buy, hold, let, sell and pass on
Owning
Running costs, staff and keeping a large house well
House & Garden
Interiors, gardens and the technology that makes a house work
Living
Chalets, islands, yachts, aviation and collecting
Our terms
What this publication is — and is not.
Not a broker
We have no listings, no off-market access and no clients. Nothing here is for sale.
Sourced, or left out
Rates and thresholds link to the official page they came from. A number we cannot source is not printed.
Dated
Every dossier shows when its sources were checked. Rules change; the date tells you how fresh the page is.
Paid by affiliate links
Some tools we mention pay us a commission. They are labelled, and they never decide what we write.
The Home Upgrade Finder
Already own the house? Six questions to the one change worth making.
Planning works, making an old house smarter, the terrace, the bedroom, or testing a region before you buy there — the finder routes you to the right guide and, where we have one, the right tool.