In this scenario of economic crisis, falling tax revenues and the need to finance recovery programs, in Guatemala and Costa Rica it is already proposed to increase current taxes and create new ones.
Guatemalan authorities are already beginning to discuss the fiscal policy they will apply in 2021, when the economy will have to face the effects of the economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak.
The tax burden grew from 13.4% in 2013 to 14% in 2016, both due to the delayed effect of the tax reforms in Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as better management on the part of tax entities in Guatemala and Panama.
From the Regional Economic Report (IER) 2016-2017: Opportunities and challenges for Central America, by the SIECA:
In the region the level of sales tax evasion is around 33% on average.
From a statement from the Central Institute for Fiscal Studies (Icefi):
The Central American Institute for Fiscal Studies presents the seventh edition of its analysis of the situation in Costa Rica.
Icefi: It is urgent that the two contending political parties specify a plan that will allow them to balance fiscal accounts and fulfill their campaign promises.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development wants to prevent schemes that allow using different jurisdictions in order to avoid paying tax where the activity is being carried out.
An article in DF.cl reports that "The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has prepared a report, commissioned by the G20, which will be presented in early February to launch changes in international tax regulations that prevent multinationals from exploiting loopholes in order to pay very little tax by declaring profits in tax havens. "
Monthly Index of Economic Activity (IMAE), exports, remittances, international reserves, exchange rates, inflation, tax collection, banking system, foreign investment, tourism and outlooks.
Oscar E. Mendizábal, editor of the Blog “Desde Guate” (From Guatemala), gathers and analyses the main factors influencing the Central American economy (except Panama) during the first six months of this year.
Central American countries alleviated much of the effects of the global crisis by issuing public debt; they now face the challenge of keeping it at reasonable levels.
Capitales.com analyzed the relation between debt and GDP for each country in Central America. They noted that although Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras are within acceptable levels, they are dangerously close to surpassing them.
It is official: Latin Americans pay less taxes that almost all of the inhabitants of the other regions of the world.
Two new studies by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) show that tax collection by Latin American governments is not only below that of the 30 most industrialized nations of the world, but that it is also lower than that of southeast Asia and Africa.