Costa Rica News – If you are a landlord, even if you rent a room out of your house or a small apartment, you must register to pay taxes, meet certain requirements and deliver invoices to avoid high penalties.
These new regulations apply even to those who make a very small amount on their rentals. You may not have to pay taxes but you still have to file to report your earnings and expenses.
The steps to follow are first registering as a taxpayer with the General Directorate of Taxation. Not registering has a fine that is currently ¢215,550. Next you must save invoices for maintenance expenses of the property. You must also submit through the Declara program a statement about your relationship to those in your home. Not doing so carries a fine of ¢1,293,000. Then you file income and withholding tax returns to avoid another ¢215,550 fine. Lastly, you submit an electronic invoice using the free tax system or pay a fine of ¢862,000. Companies offer services to do this for you. They charge about ¢10,000 for the preparation of 20 electronic invoices.
Most people don’t have to pay tax on rentals unless they make a net income over ¢3,549,000 per year. An exception to this is if the person already applied another exempt section.
