Is there any country that gives tax residency without living there?

Question

Is there any country that gives tax residency without the need to live there for most of the year? Most countries I've read about need you to live there a substantial part of the year (among other requirements in many cases).

An occasional visit to such country would be acceptable.

In case someone wonders why, the reason for this is that Argentina has high taxes and you've got to pay taxes for your assets independently from where they are located. Since I've got assets in other countries I pay my Argentina's elevated taxes for those assets, which wouldn't pay as much taxes if I lived in the other country.

I want to do what's called "loosing tax residency". This has one simple requirement by law: get tax residency somewhere else. I don't want to live somewhere else, but I'd like to avoid paying taxes for assets outside my country.

Answer 1

Just because you are considered resident in one country for tax purposes does not mean another country will not also consider you resident there for tax purposes.

Countries set their own rules for when you are considered a tax resident, and they don't consider whether or not you are also resident elsewhere. So if you were to find another country that would let you be a tax resident there without actually living there, Argentina would still consider you a tax resident there and make you pay taxes.

For example the UK considers you to be a tax resident if you spend six months in Britain in the tax year (April->March). Canada considers you resident there if you spend six months in Canada during the calendar year. If you move from Canada to the UK in September you satisfy both requirements and you are resident in both countries for tax purposes. Neither country considers you not resident there just because you are also resident in the other.

Answer 2

According to OECD – Argentina – Information on residency for tax purposes:

An individual is considered a resident, even if he/she has obtained the permanent residence in a foreign country, or has lost its residence status in the Argentine Republic because the person is regarded as resident of another country for tax purposes, when they actually live in the national territory or reenter the country [Argentina] in order to remain in it.

Which means that even if you are a resident of another country for tax purposes, you are still tax resident of Argentina:

• if the individual has its permanent dwelling in the Argentine Republic (a suitable facility currently used for living or available for the main end of housing); or
• if its centre of vital interest is located within the national territory (in which he/she has its closest personal and economic relationships, mainly the personal ones); or
• if the individual permanently resides in the Argentine Republic, a condition that will be considered fulfilled if the person remains there more time than the one spent in the foreign State which granted the permanent residence, or which considers them as residents for tax purposes during the calendar year); and if they are of Argentine nationality.

If you are looking for Permanent Residence or Citizenship status of another country without living at the other country, you can try OECD - Residence/Citizenship by investment schemes.