In Panama, a bill that establishes exemptions for those natural and legal persons specialized in the operation of industrial recycling plants was approved in the third debate.
The purpose of this new regulatory framework is to stimulate with environmental tax benefits the establishment of recycling companies, which do not exist in Panama, seen as an ideal process to end the problem of garbage accumulation in the country, informed the National Assembly.
In order for Guatemalan producers to compete under the same conditions as neighboring countries, the government is preparing a bill that seeks to exempt agricultural inputs from VAT.
The initiative, known as the "Fiscal Equity Law", is being prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Maga), because, according to the institution's top official, other Central American countries do not charge value-added tax (VAT) on agricultural inputs.
The Guatemalan Congress approved a bill that contemplates the creation of a special tax regime for agricultural activity.
Although this bill was involved in controversy days ago, as the chambers of industry and commerce expressed their opposition, Congress decided to approve the bill. See full bill.
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.
On September 2, Costa Rica began the registration of individuals and agricultural producers who wish to opt for the benefits contemplated in the new tax regulations.
The term began on Monday, September 2 and ends on January 31, 2020, and for registration interested parties must submit their physical or legal identity card, and literal certification of the property, informed the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
In Costa Rica, the government approved a decree that exonerates from the payment of the selective consumption tax to second-hand electric cars that are 5 or less years in service.
To encourage the use of electric vehicles in the country, the Alvarado administration signed the Executive Decree 41426-H-MINAE-MOPT, which grants a fiscal benefit to second-hand electric vehicles whose antiquity is equal to or less than 5 years from the year of its model.
In the absence of a law to renew tax incentives, some 1,223 companies in the maquila sector and the free zone will have to pay income tax in 2016.
After the lapse on December 31 of tax benefits for companies working under these special arrangements, the Superintendency of Tax Administration of Guatemala will officially begin charging ISR, a measure that will bring in revenue to the state in the order of $258.4 million (a Q2 billion).
The mandatory use of the Exonet system has been established for carrying out procedures related to tax exemptions.
Decree No. 39037-H Ministry of Finance:
"Article 9. Mandatory use of EXONET System. One month after the publication of this decree, the EXONET system will be compulsory for all beneficiaries applying for tax exemptions to the laws mentioned in this article, as well as their legal representatives and to all those classified as system users and who are involved in the management and processing of applications for exemption.
The problem with income tax exemptions is that they favor high-return projects that would probably have been made anyway.
From an IDB document entitled "The effectiveness of tax incentives: The case of export processing zones in Costa Rica, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic".
Introduction and Summary
Policies encouraging investment make use of a variety of instruments.
A bill put forward by Liberal MPs in Costa Rica proposes that during the first three years of operation, new companies would be exempt from paying income tax.
The proposal states that during the first year the new companies would be completely exempt from income, the second year they would be charged 25% of income tax incurred and 50% in the third year.
Exemption from taxes and municipal fees are some of the incentives that the Mayor of the Central District of Tegucigalpa is granting to those building parking lots in areas of high road traffic.
Other incentives being offered include the payment of only $0.05 per building permit, regardless of the size of the land where it the parking lot will be built.
In order to encourage investment in the country, starting from this fiscal year income tax paid by taxpayers registered in the regime on profits will be reduced from 28% to 25%.
According to the latest amendment of the Law on Tax Update, Decree 10-2012, the rate of income tax (ISR) applied to taxpayers from 2015 will be 25%. The authorities clarified that the rate of 28% will be applied to taxpayers who have not yet completed the liquidation of 2014
The draft law on Tax Coalition will extend exemptions until March 2015 and maintain tax free income for international cooperation given to nonprofit organizations.
Some of the goods included in the list of exemptions are books, magazines, school supplies, medicines, vaccines, agricultural goods, rice (except packaged rice or packages equal to or less than fifty pounds and higher quality presentation than 80/20), sugar cane (except for special sugars), vegetable cooking oil, corn, and coffee grounds, among others.
The Ministry of Finance is working on a bill that aims to review and eliminate tax exemptions that have no substantiated legal justification, and create a new regulatory framework.
According to the Ministry of Finance, income not received in 2013 due to the existence of exemptions and special tax regimes was equivalent to 5.93% of GDP, of which 3.7% corresponds to the General Sales Tax, 1, 9% to income tax and 0.3% for other taxes.
The union is demanding from the government the same tax breaks that are being prepared for the tourism industry.
The construction sector contributes about 6% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and it is for this reason that companies in this guild are asking for a package of tax breaks the same as will be given the tourism sector, whose contribution to the economy amounts to just 3% of GDP.