QCOSTARICA – The most recent drop in fuel prices will be remembered for being the ‘biggest’ drop in history. But there is another fact that will also be remembered: the portion of tax paid by the consumer is the highest percentage in history.
For every litre of super gasoline you put into your tank, ¢244 of the ¢445 colones you pay, is tax, money going to straight to the state coffers. For a litre of regular, the tax collector gets ¢233 on the ¢424 colones paid by the consumer. For diesel, the tax is 40%, the second highest historically.
If you are asking why, even though fuel prices dropped, the tax is still high, it is because the tax on fuel is a fixed amount and updated according to inflation rather than the international price of fuels.
Recope, on its website, details the price, tax and profit for retailers, that makes up the final price.
According to Recope, the price of a litre of super gasoline is ¢144 colones, to which added is ¢244 colones for tax and ¢56 for retailer profit, for a final price of ¢445. The price of a litre of regular gasoline is ¢124 colones, to which added is ¢233 colones for tax and ¢56 for retailer profit, for a final price of ¢424.
In Costa Rica, gasoline station operators have nothing to do with the final price to the consumer. In fact, their margin (profit) is a fixed amount regulated by authorities.
Source: Recope figures
