Within the framework of the fiscal adjustment being discussed in El Salvador in order to sign an agreement with the IMF, local authorities intend to apply VAT, ISR and other specific taxes to companies that sell their products and services online.
At the beginning of March, the Ministry of Finance informed that El Salvador is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan of approximately $1.3 billion.
Faced with the health crisis affecting the Salvadoran economy, businessmen from the industrial sector asked the government to postpone income tax declarations until June 2020.
Another of the specific requests of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI), is the prompt refund to exporters of Value Added Tax, through Treasury Notes.
In Costa Rica, the new proposal from the Solis administration's imposes tax on a greater amount of goods and services, such as air tickets, books, packaging and bottling, but with differentiated rates.
As the government's initial idea to convert the sales tax into a value-added tax and raise it from 13% to 15% did not prosper, the Ministry of Finance decided to expand the range of goods and services to be taxed, in order to compensate part of the funds that could not be raised from raising the rate from 13% to 15%.
Raising VAT from 12% to 15% and lowering income tax from 35% to 30% are part of the reforms that the Executive Branch is preparing to present to Congress.
Preliminary ideas being prepared by President Morales and a group of advisers also include incorporating the concept of world income.Although a formal document has not yet been submitted, the Executive has already started to give details of the proposal to members of Congress.
Among the new features are VAT refunds to those who pay for private medical practices with cards and the establishment of a new fiscal year, from January 1 to December 31.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance:
Bill on value added tax (VAT):
New Features
- This project establishes a value added tax (VAT) levied on sales of goods and provision of services in Costa Rica.
In its comments on the bill on income tax and sales reforms currently under public consultation, a request has been made that financial institutions be subject to a system of global and not published income.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC):
ABC submitted their comments on the draft amendments to the income and sales taxes
Tax Memorandum by Tezó and Associates regarding verification of the information presented in the annual declaration of income tax.
Tax Memorandum by Tezó and Associates:
In March 2015 the SAT sent an email containing a reminder to some Special Taxpayers in respect to the maturity of the annual Income Tax affidavit (ISR). This email includes he notice with the following paragraph: "In April 2015, the SAT will verify the information presented in the annual ISR affidavit, for which reason it asks, among other things, for the integration of non-deductible expenses and receivables reported and declared. "
The Ministry of Finance has postponed until April 17 the deadline for companies to make their comments on the draft legislation reforming income and sales taxes .
Originally the deadline for providing comments on the tax proposal was March 27, but at the request of several sectors it has been extended until April 17, according to the chief of Finance, Helio Fallas.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants has stated that projects to reform VAT and income tax will affect the final consumer by making goods and services more expensive.
From a statement issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants:
The President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ovares Francisco, believes that the new bills to reform the Value Added Tax (VAT) and income tax (ISR), which the Treasury is submitting to public consultation will have a direct impact on consumers.
Tax Memorandum by Tezó and Associates on Transfer Pricing and schedule for payment obligations in February 2015.
Tax Memorandum by Tezó and Associates:
Under Articles 54 and 55 of Decree No. 10-2012, effective from January 1, 2015, the tax authorities can check whether transactions between related parties (an entity resident in Guatemala with a resident abroad), are rated according to the principle of free competition and make adjustments when the valuation agreed between the parties results in less tax being paid in the country or deferred taxation; if adjustments are made an audience must be conferred within the Process for Determination of Tax Liability by the Administration, established in the Tax Code. It is understood for tax purposes, under the Principle of Free Competition, that the price or amount for a particular operation that independent parties may have agreed in conditions of free competition should be comparable to those performed operations.
Despite several announcements of new taxes, the government will focus on controlling tax evasion and leave the decision to implement a tax reform to future administrations.
According to authorities at the Ministry of Finance, at the moment there is no consensus for fiscal reform. The priority now will be to pursue and strengthen tax administration in order to meet budget expenditures this year.
Payment schedule for liabilities in January 2015 and Memorandum on Tax Bancarization.
Tax Memorandum
The requirement for Tax Bankarization is regulated by Articles 20 and 21 of Decree No. 20-2006, articles which were amended by Articles 27 and 28 of Decree No. 04-2012, specifically in order to change the amount of bankarization amount from $6,585 to $3,951
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.
Schedule of payment of liabilities for December 2014 and Tax Memorandum on the new control department for exempt taxpayers.
Tax Memorandum
Department of Control for Exempt Taxpayers
The SAT is directly notifying taxpayers of the creation of a Department of Control for Exempt Taxpayers
The core of the notification indicates that:
"The Superintendency of Tax Administration has implemented a Control Department for Exempt Entities to provide in a comprehensive manner, service, control and monitoring of compliance with tax and customs obligations; and verify the proper use of the benefits of those entities that enjoy tax breaks of any kind.