On Monday, with 40 votes in favor and 10 against, the Legislature approved in first reading a bill that seeks to reinstate the tax on corporations, annulled by the Constitutional Chamber on January 29th 2015.
The initiative had the support of the National Liberation Party (PLN), Citizen Action (PAC), Frente Amplio and legislator Jorge Rodríguez from the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC).
On the other hand, libertarians Otto Guevara and Natalia Diaz, lawmakers Gerardo Vargas Rojas, Luis Vásquez, William Alvarado, Johnny Leiva and Rosibel Ramos, from PUSC, Abelino Esquivel from Costa Rican Renovation, and Fabricio Alvarado from National Restoration, voted negatively.
According to the text, legal persons without business will pay a fee of ¢ 63,600 per year, the same as those with economic activity, but with no reported.
Societies with economic activity and gross income of ¢50,800 will have to pay ¢106,000 and those with gross revenues between ¢50,800 and ¢118,000 will pay ¢127,000, while those reporting higher profits will have to pay ¢212,000.
According to estimates of the Libertarian Movement, based on a report from the Technical Services Department of Congress, dormant companies contribute 66.4% of the total tax levy and those with gross revenues higher than ¢50 million will only contribute 14%.
Inactive societies are usually those that many Costa Ricans use to inscribe a property, a vehicle or to safeguard inheritances, but which have no lucrative activities.
With this tax, the government hopes to raise ¢47 billion annually. Of that total, 95% will be transferred to the Ministry of Public Security to hiring more police officers, delegations and pay for new equipment, and 5% to the Ministry of Justice for prison infrastructure.
Guevara reaffirmed that the Libertarian Movement will present a constitutionality consultation on the draft before the Fourth Chamber.