Corporate taxes for the 2019 fiscal period can be paid up to the January 31 deadline without fines.

According to the Finance Ministry*, the fiscal period 2019 is from October 1st 2018 to September 30, 2019. That means companies owners have to pay this tax in advance.

This tax must be paid by local companies (including those registered as limited responsibility) and by international companies that have a branch in Costa Rica.

Payment can be made through the website of the Ministry of Finance (www.hacienda.go.cr) or directly at the Ministry located in Second Avenue, Street 1 and 3*. In both cases, the corporate ID number, known as the Cédula Jurídica, must be reported.

Companies that fail to pay this tax will have to pay fines. If a company fails to make a payment for three periods, officials of ministry could order a company shut-down.

The amount of the tax is calculated on the basis of the income of each company. The Finance Ministry sets the amount to pay based on the company’s reported income.

According to the Ministry, there are two types of companies exempt from this tax, companies registered as small businesses and companies related with agricultural producers that are also registered in the Ministry of Agriculture data base.

The institution reports that the resources obtained from the business tax are destined to the Ministry of Security to finance police infrastructure, purchase and maintenance of police equipment, attention to citizen security and combating crime.