August 17, 2022 New Colombian Government submits tax reform bill to Congress
On August 8, 2022, the new Colombian Government submitted to the Colombian Congress a tax reform bill that is expected to bring in COP 25 trillion in revenue for 2023 (approx. USD 6.2 billion) (1.72% of the GDP), and COP 50 trillion (approx. USD 12.4 billion) in revenue by 2026, by reducing tax evasion. Corporate income tax (CIT) rates The general 35% CIT rate would remain the same. The bill, however, would eliminate the reduced CIT rates (generally 9%, or in some cases 2%) applicable to the income of certain hotels, theme parks, ecotourism services, some late maturity crops (e.g., cocoa, rubber, oil palm, citrus, and fruit trees), some publishing companies, and international shipping services performed by vessels registered in Colombia, among other things. In those cases, the general CIT rate would apply. The bill would make the 3% surtax applicable to financial institutions (currently in force until 2025) permanent (for a total CIT rate of 38%). Industrial and service users of free trade zones (FTZs) would have to comply with some exportation thresholds set by the Colombian Government to keep benefiting from the reduced CIT rate, which is generally 20%. The special FTZ would be subject to the 35% CIT. Dividends paid to nonresidents out of profits subject to taxation at the corporate level would be subject to a 20% withholding tax rate (currently dividend tax is levied at a 10% rate). The bill would increase the capital gains tax rate from 10% to 30% for the capital gains of nonresident companies and individuals, and Colombian resident companies. Tax deductions, benefits and incentives The bill would eliminate the ability to treat 50% of the industry and commerce tax effectively paid as a tax credit. Therefore, that tax would be treated 100% as a tax deduction. The bill would not allow taxpayers to deduct certain expenses, such as the payment of club memberships, or certain payments to employees to help in the acquisition of housing, among other things. It would also limit certain non-taxable income, special deductions, exempt income, and tax credits to 3% of net taxable income, calculated without applying the special deductions subject to the limitation. The bill would eliminate the following special tax treatments:
As a transitory measure, taxpayers meeting the requirements of those treatments could still benefit from them for the period that it was originally contemplated in the law. Changes to the concept of "effective place of management" The bill would change the criteria for determining whether a foreign company has its effective place of management in Colombia (making it a Colombian tax resident). The proposed test would focus on the place where day-to-day activities are carried out, rather than where strategic and executive decisions are made. Taxation of nonresident entities with significant economic presence in Colombia The bill would establish the concept of "significant economic presence," under which foreign entities would be taxed as if they have a permanent establishment in Colombia. The income related to a "significant economic presence" would be considered as Colombian-source income. According to the bill, a nonresident entity would trigger a "significant economic presence" in Colombia when:
If the activities in Colombia are developed by different related parties, the criteria mentioned previously would take into account the transactions of all related entities. Payments to nonresidents with a significant economic presence in Colombia would generally be subject to a 20% withholding tax. The collection mechanism would be subject to regulations for payments made by individuals who use Colombian methods of payment (e.g., credit cards issued by banks in Colombia), which are expected to be issued after the bill's enactment. The bill would allow a tax treaty to prevail over Colombian domestic law when foreign entities reside in a tax treaty jurisdiction. Individual taxation The bill would subject dividends and capital gains obtained by Colombian resident individuals to ordinary progressive rates ranging from 0% to 39% (currently, these items are generally subject to a 10% withholding tax rate). The bill also would reduce the annual cap for claiming 25% of labor income as tax exempt from 2,880 tax units (approx. USD 27,400) to 790 tax units (approx. USD 7,500). The 40% limit for tax-exempt income and deductions related to income in the general basket would be reduced from 5,040 tax units (approx. USD 48,000) to 1,210 tax units (approx. USD 11,500). The annual tax-exempt income limit for pensioners would be reduced from 12,000 tax units (approx. USD 114,000) to 1,790 tax units (approx. USD 17,000). Equity tax The bill would establish a new permanent equity tax on Colombian resident individuals' worldwide net worth (nonresident individuals would be taxed only on their Colombian assets). Nonresident entities would have to pay this tax on their assets in Colombia, such as real estate, yachts, artwork, boats, planes, and rights over mines or oil wells. In calculating this tax, nonresident entities would not consider shares in Colombian companies, accounts receivable from Colombian debtors, certain portfolio investments and financial lease agreements. For this tax to apply, the net equity of the taxpayer must be at least COP 3 billion (approximately USD 750,000) as of January 1 of each year. The equity tax rates would range from 0.5% to 1%. Additional tax measures The bill would make changes applicable to certain sectors or activities, as follows:
Finally, the bill would include some additional measures for the oil and gas and mining sectors:
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