In Guatemala, the chambers of industry and commerce oppose the bill that proposes to create a special tax regime for agricultural activity.
The project "Law on Simplification, Updating and Tax Incorporation", which has been in Congress for more than two years, was scheduled for final discussion until September 10. See full bill.
The business sector is opposed the bill with which aims to increase the tax applicable to dividends, earnings and profits from 5% to 6%.
There's a proposal in Congress to increase the income tax (ISR) paid on dividends, profits and earnings by 1%. The intention is to allocate those funds to the creation of a Ministry for Youth.
"... The tax changes should be subject to prior consultation with the Ministry of Finance and analysis carried out to determine the impact on the business sector. When it was raised to 5% there was an explanation. It does not seem fair to us that reforms be made casuistically without consultation and with a specific assignment made," said Julio Héctor Estrada, Minister of Finance to Elperiodico.com.gt regarding the tax change which would mean revenues to the treasury of up to $10 million, according the legislators who proposed it.
The Constitutional Court has ruled as unfounded the suits on unconstitutionality filed by cement companies and left in place a tax of $0.65 on the distribution of each sack of cement.
The Constitutional Court decided to maintain the tax of $0.65 per sack of cement as indicated by the reform approved for the Law of Specific Tax on the Distribution of Cement under the fiscal year 2015 of the National Budget.
In Guatemala, the Constitutional Court has accepted an appeal filed by businessmen and suspended the application of Article 61 of the tax reform.
Unanimously and provisionally, the Constitutional Court of Guatemala ordered the suspension of Article 61 of the Tax Reform related to reclassification of operations after considering it "patently unconstitutional."
Representatives from business associations are calling for discussion on drafting a project than it differs from the current one, which was approved in the Finance Committee of Congress.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala (GCC), Jorge Briz said that "we disagree with the suggested tax reform."
Briz believes that the reform proposed by the government "does not fit in with the reality in the country," and he added, "Guatemala needs fiscal reform and in depth restructuring, in the sense of simplifying taxes, tax rates have to be accessible , low and competitive worldwide", reports LaHora.com.gt.
The Chamber of Commerce has presented a proposal for tax reforms for businesses.
A proposal by the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala has as its basis tax simplification, an increased tax base, and freezing the state budget for four years.
In order to strengthen and simplify the collection of taxes, the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala has presented a proposal for tax reform, which would, among other things, freeze the amount of the state budget for four years.
98.28% of surveyed businessmen opposed increased taxes and a potential tax reform.
The survey was conducted by the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala, and included managers and business owners of the agricultural, commercial, industrial and service sectors.
"Jorge Briz, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said that tax reform would work if taxes were for all taxpayers, including the informal sector'," says the article on El Periódico´s website.