A bill has been presented that aims to create a single digital window for obtaining operating licenses, social security numbers and taxpayer codes in one day.
From a statement issued by deputy Otto Guevara Guth:
Members of the Libertarian Movement caucus have presented Draft Law No. 19,913 entitled "Reform of the Municipal Code," which aims to:
1. Convert licenses or municipal permits for an economic activity within an applicant's right in order to verify that the regulatory plan supports the activity in the corresponding area.
The Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal that sought to eliminate from the free zone law exemptions from municipal taxes.
From a statement issued by the Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica:
CONSTITUTIONAL CHAMBER REJECTS AND OVERULES THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY AGAINST FREE ZONES
Through judgment 2015-7688 09:00 hrs. of May 27, 2015, the Constitutional Court flatly rejected a constitutional claim regarding lack of compliance with constitutional procedures in establishing exemptions from taxes on real estate and the tax on transfer of property. It also declared void the challenge to Article 20 bis of Law 7210 of November 23, 1990 added by Law 7830 of September 22, 1998, and transient I and II of the Law 8794 of January 12, 2010 that refer to the terms of validity and companies benefiting from the exemption regime.
A Bill proposes that companies using electricity distribution poles pay municipalities a fee equivalent to 10% of their earnings.
The proposal presented by Deputy Jorge Rodriguez not only includes telecommunications companies, but also any natural or legal person who owns the posts. This proposal also prohibits the new rental fee for the poles being transferred to the final consumer.
Central American companies on average spend 217 hours and perform 34 different procedures in order to comply with the payment of taxes.
Even though the process for paying taxes are slower than in other regions, the overall tax rate paid by corporations in Central America is still lower than in other countries.
This is indicated in an annual study by PriceWaterHouseCoopers and the World Bank, which analyzes tax systems in 189 countries and compares them according to three indicators: the time it takes to make the payments, the number of procedures that must be carried out and the overall tax rate, which takes into account labour taxes, those on profits and others.
The National Chamber of Tourism has described the amounts for licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages as disproportionate and unrealistic.
From a press release by the National Chamber of Tourism Canatur:
Disproportionate and far from reality is how the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) has described the amounts for the payment of licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages stipulated in Law No. 9047.
The reform proposed by the Chamber of Retailers introduces a fee that is calculated based on the sales of each establishment.
With this modification liquor licenses would be charged based on income and not, as currently happens, using a fixed amount, said Executive Director of the Chamber, Ana Teresa Vazquez.
"... About 7,000 union members of the chamber have been affected over the last 11 months, when Law 9047 came into effect, as small businesses have been forced to pay up to $762 every three months for a liquor license", reported Nacion.com.
Retail stores, restaurants and bars are feeling the effects of a new law which regulates the sale of liquor in municipalities.
The excessive fees for licenses has led to chambers in the private sector squaring up to the municipalities, who after the law came into effect less than a year ago, are responsible for regulating the sale of liquor in each Canton district, leading to unequal conditions in each of municipalities.
Since the law was passed giving municipalities the right to collect property taxes, collection has increased by 2% annually.
However, the amount being collected for property taxes could grow substantially because their registered values are much lower than their real values.
In their analysis of the issue, Daniel Shea of the Costa Rican Tico Times, indicates that according to a recent study by the Technical Standardization Entity (ONT) of the Treasury Department, where they evaluate the value of properties in Costa Rica (the first one of this type in 10 years), 92% of properties have a value listing at $20,000 or less...
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