Guatemala: New Taxes on Cement and Telephony

In order to finance the 2015 budget, Congress has approved a tax of $0.65 for the distribution of each sack of cement weighing 42.5 kg and the same amount for each mobile or fixed telephone line.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Between the two taxes it is hoped that a total of approximately $2,607 million will be raised to finance the General Budget of the Nation in 2015.

In the case of taxes on mobiles and fixed telephone lines, "... it means that for every fixed line or mobile there must be taxed of $0.65 (Q5) which will be incurred by the telephone companies."

Edgar Barquin, Coordinator of Government Plan of the Renewed Democratic Liberty (Lider) Party told S21.com.gt that "... 'What happens is that there may be unused phone lines and this is a mechanism which allows for there not to be extra charges for unused lines. The subjects having to pay the tax are the operators and the generators of the tax are the telephone lines. '"

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More on this topic

Guatemala: Telephony Tax Under Question

February 2015

In Congress doubts are being voiced over the effectiveness of the application of a tax of $0.65 per phone line and $13 for call centers.

Among the nine challenges presented by deputies to the proposal to place a tax on phones, the lack of definition of the use of funds and details about who should pay the tax stand out the most, in particular whether it should be the user or the business who pays.

Guatemala: Tax on Telephony Suspended

January 2015

The application of tax of $0.65 per mobile phone line that had been proposed by the Executive to fund part of the 2015 budget has been temporarily suspended.

The Constitutional Court temporarily suspended the collection of the tax on telephone lines after the Chamber of Industry and the three phone companies operating in the country submitted an appeal against the tax.

Guatemala: Phone Lines Returned to State

December 2014

In response to approval of a new tax of $0.65 per telephone line, operating companies have returned 6 million lines to the Telecommunications Superintendency.

Representatives from Claro, Tigo and Telefónica each returned 2 million inactive numbers with the aim of adjusting their internal policies to adapt to the new tax which will come into effect next year.

Guatemala: Industrialists Reject New Taxes

December 2014

The argument is that the tax on cement will increase the cost of housing by at least 6% and the tax on phones will directly affect users of prepaid telephone lines.

From a statement issued by the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala:

The Chamber of Industry of Guatemala emphasizes that even though it promptly denounced the risk of lack of transparency and accountability of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2015, it has been approved and will lead to negative impacts on the population.

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