Category: Costa Rica Taxes

All About Costa Rica Property Tax

Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes The correct way of calculating the Costa Rica property tax or impuesto sobre Los Bienes Inmuebles is to use the registered value of your property in the Municipality where the property is and multiply this by 0.25%. The percentage of the annual property tax is 0,25%, as regulated by Law…

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All About U.S. Tax When You Retire in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes For many retirees and soon-to-be retirees, the idea of retiring in Costa Rica, although appealing, can often get complicated because of the U.S. tax implications. So, before you say goodbye to your neighbors, take into account these vital U.S. tax considerations: 1. Pension Income How will your move abroad affect…

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Inactive corporations in Costa Rica must declare assets in 2021

In December 2019, the Costa Rica Tax office published a resolution that starting 2021, existing inactive corporations must declare their assets. This must be done between January 1st and March 15th, 2021. New corporations will have to do this starting 2020 but let your attorney worry about that when he/she constitutes a new corporation for…

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What’s up with the Corporation Tax Costa Rica in 2019?

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I wrote this blog about Corporation Tax Costa Rica originally on January 1st, 2016. Since 2016, many things have happened with the Corporation Tax Costa Rica. Everything I wrote at the time has changed and we’re now in September 2019. So it’s time for an update. For many years, lawyers…

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Everything about sales tax on real estate sales and rentals

Do real estate agents have to charge sales tax on real estate rentals and sales in Costa Rica? Do tenants now have to pay sales tax on top of their rental? Many real estate agents and their clients are not very clear about the sales tax on real estate sales in Costa Rica, so let’s…

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Should vacation rental accommodations have to pay taxes soon?

Is there a chance that vacation rental accommodations will have to start paying taxes soon? Many vacation rental owners are probably wondering what’s going on with that topic. Paying or not paying taxes makes a huge difference to your ROI if you have a vacation rental investment. It’s a fact that if you have income…

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What if I don’t pay my Annual Costa Rica Corporation Tax?

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes I get questions by email about the annual Costa Rica corporation tax that was approved in January 2012. In a past article, I explained what this annual Costa Rica corporation tax is all about and why it was created. This is important information for most of my readers since many of…

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Change in Temporary Costa Rican residency

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes There have been several changes in the temporary Costa Rican residency policy and law that affect the financial wellbeing of long-term visitors. This includes those visitors applying for one of the three immigrant resident categories. Just before our arrival, Immigration made changes in the temporary Costa Rican residency. We received…

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US Tax Return Due Dates for Americans Living Abroad

Most U.S. citizens and green card holders rushed to file a US tax return by April 15. However, Americans living abroad on the regular due date of their tax return can take advantage of several extensions. We updated this blog on 3/27/2020 First and foremost, American expatriates get an automatic two-month extension until June 15…

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Why Zoning is so important when you purchase Costa Rica real estate?

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Before you purchase Costa Rica real estate, you first want to look at the zoning. Most municipalities in the Central Valley now have a zoning plan. And they are all different. The other day, I listed a property where one part was located in Santa Ana and the other part…

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