As part of the process of digitalization of tax procedures, as of July 1, 2021, taxpayers who register with the Superintendence of Tax Administration will be added to the Online Electronic Invoice regime.
Data from the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT) show that as of March 2021, 265,620 taxpayers had already registered in the Online Electronic Invoice (FEL) regime.
Chang y Compania and Mag Alcoholes, are two companies that during March were audited by local authorities, after the detection of the possible crime of tax and customs fraud.
Representatives of the Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT) informed that on March 10, the Juzgado Pluripersonal de Primera Instancia Penal en Materia Tributaria y Aduanera ("Pluripersonal Court of First Criminal Instance in Tax and Customs Matters") ordered the intervention of the company Mag Alcoholes, and on March 22, the Juzgado Quinto de Primera Instancia Penal ("Fifth Court of First Criminal Instance") ordered the intervention of the warehouse Chang y Compania.
In order to force companies to comply with the payment of taxes on sales made through electronic channels, as of June 2021 SAT will begin to use a digital platform that will analyze the information that appears on social networks.
The restrictions on mobility decreed during 2020 due to the outbreak of covid-19 and the change in consumption habits, boosted the growth of online sales in the Guatemalan market.
After inconsistencies were detected between purchases reported by taxpayers and sales that the company declared to the tax authority, an investigation was initiated in Guatemala into the "La Barata" supermarket chain.
During the morning of December 7, representatives of the Public Ministry (MP) and the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), held a press conference in which they explained some details about a new case of alleged tax fraud by the chain of stores "La Barata."
After IC Power Asia Development sued the Guatemalan State for violating its rights under the Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Guatemalan government.
On February 20, 2018, the Israeli entity IC Power Asia Development LTD. (former owner of Energuate) sued the State of Guatemala as a result of an inspection carried out by the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), to verify the liquidation of Income Tax (ISR), informed the Ministry of Economy (Mineco).
After the announcement of the intention to increase the tax on the distribution of cement and fuel in Guatemala, businessmen believe that in this scenario of incipient economic recovery it is not a good idea to increase the tax burden.
In order to face the effects of the economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, Guatemalan authorities are already beginning to discuss the fiscal policy to be applied in 2021.
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.
Guatemala's private sector filed a legal action against the Superintendence of Tax Administration, arguing that the entity had indicated that it would defer tax collection if the restrictions remained in place, but did not do so.
The Superintendence of Tax Administration declared the days between March 24 and April 14 as non-working days for the purposes of calculating the periods established in the tax legislation.
On March 24, Resolution of the Superintendence of Tax Administration Number SAT-DSI-280-2020 was published in the Official Journal, in which the days of March 24, 25, 26, 27, 30 and 31, 2020, and April 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14, 2020, inclusive, were declared non-working days for purposes of deferring the computation of the terms established in the tax legislation and the internal administrative procedures of this entity.
The changes that had been made to the Regulation of the Value Added Tax Law in Guatemala came into effect.
This is Governmental Agreement 222-2019 modifying the Regulation of the Value Added Tax Law, which contains provisions regarding the mechanisms for the recovery of the tax credit to exporters created by Decree 4-2019, informed the exporters' union.
In Guatemala, Congress is discussing a bill that seeks to increase the arrival of flights to the country through tax incentives for airlines, which would be coupled with the elimination of improper tax charges.
On August 14, 2019, the President of the Legislative Branch, Álvaro Arzú Escobar, presented to Congress initiative 5585, which has the support of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and the Guatemalan Association of Air Lines (AGLA). See full bill.
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.
As a result of the elimination of banking secrecy in Guatemala, the business sector announces that it will be alert to "respect due process and the confidentiality of taxpayers.
One year after having suspended access to taxpayers' bank information for fiscal purposes, at the beginning of August the Constitutional Court ruled definitively and revoked the suspension, so that in the coming weeks the changes will begin to apply.
Experts and authorities believe that the ruling by the Guatemalan Constitutional Court revoking the suspension preventing access to taxpayers' bank information for fiscal purposes could be reversed with another legal action.
In recent days, the issue has become more relevant in the country, because after a year of being suspended access to banking information for tax purposes, on August 6 the Constitutional Court finally ruled, authorizing the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT) to review the accounts of taxpayers.
One year after the suspension of taxpayers' access to bank information for tax purposes, the Guatemalan Constitutional Court ruled definitively and revoked the suspension.