In an attempt of a cash grab, the Ministerio de Hacienda (Tax Department) seems to be up to its old tricks, raising the “Valor Hacienda” (tax value) of vehicles once again, in time for the 2017 Marchamo.
An old decrepit jalopy like this can still have a high tax value in Costa Rica. Photo used for illustrative purposes.
If you will recall, last November Hacienda had upped the tax value on many vehicles, affecting vehicle owners, paying a higher property tax on the annual Marchamo.
Hundreds of owners complained and in almost all cases, Hacienda was obliged to lower the tax value of the vehicle at that time.
However, according to a post by El Chamuko on his “El Infierno en Costa Rica” (Hell in Costa Rica) blog, he received a letter from a reader, one of the owners to had made a complaint and had the tax value on his vehicle reduced, only to find that it’s back up there again.
The writer says he had to agree to the (lowered) value of ¢16.620.000 colones for his vehicle, a value that not the actual market, “let’s just say its some value”, only to find his reduction of ¢1.470.000 has now been added back to the value that will most likely be used this coming November.
Should that vehicle a year later not be worth less? Not in Costa Rica!
To check the “Valor Hacienda” of your vehicle, go to the Car-Tic@ Auto Consulta website by the Ministerio de Hacienda. Type in the plate number (and the optional class for a leaner search result – ‘Part’ is for private passenger vehicle) to find out the tax value.
If you feel that the value is too high, now is a good time to start the process of having the value re-evaluated. Wait until November and you will most likely have to pay the Marchamo (with the higher tax) and then wait for a refund, if you do get your vehicle’s tax value reduced.
Pura Vida, Maes!
Article first appeared on TICO BULL, reposted with permission.
