Experts warn that the draft law which aims to raise income tax and convert sales tax into value added tax might not be approved for two years.
The lack of consensus between the Ministry of Finance and the President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solis, is sending mixed signals on some aspects of the tax reform. One example in the case of corporation tax, an issue that the president himself has stated he disagrees with.
If the Treasury's proposal succeeds, interest on bank deposits would incur 8% to 15%, while for revenues generated by mutual funds, the tax would rise from 5% to 15%.
This unification is due to the fact that currently there are different taxes for similar types of income, therefore the tax is not neutral, according to the CEO of Taxation. In the case of surplus cooperatives and solidarity associations, the project proposes "...
Requests have been made for the clarification of which telecommunications services are to be taxed with VAT, since it is unclear whether it is information services or telecommunications which would be taxed.
Currently telecommunications services are charged sales tax, even though the Costa Rican government aims to close the digital divide. With this new reform proposal, a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 15%, "would be incurred ...
Public consultation is being given to the draft reform proposed by the Ministry of Finance to the Law of General Sales Tax.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica:
• Proposal is available to read at www.hacienda.go.cr
The Ministry of Finance today made available to the public, a proposal for draft amendments to the Law on General Sales Tax Act and Income Tax, aiming to open up a space to receive observations and recommendations from the sectors and citizens interested in participating in this process, which is needed to strengthen public finances and achieve a National Agreement for Social Development.
The reform under public consultation includes tax on remittances sent abroad, on the payment or crediting of interest, commissions and other financial expenses by natural or legal persons domiciled in Costa Rica.
From the order by the Ministry of Finance published in La Gaceta:
Amendments to the Regulations on the Law on Income Tax
As part of a plan to reduce the fiscal deficit, the Finance Ministry is preparing a bill which aims to amend the existing tax exemptions scheme.
This project also seeks to create penalties for 1,259 misuse of tax breaks reported by the Technical Services Department up until 2014. It is anticipated that the initiative will be submitted to the Legislature in no more than two weeks.