Costa Rica

Payments to non-domiciled foreign corporations or individuals

Regarding payments to non-domiciled foreign corporations or individuals, taxes are withheld as follows:

Notes

1. Interest paid from a financial entity supervised in Costa Rica to a financial entity outside Costa Rica subject to supervision is subject to a withholding of 5.5%. The payments to multilateral entities for development are not subject to withholding.

With the new Law, the withholding for payments of technical advice and professional services abroad is unified at 25% tax.

Double taxation treaties (DTTs)

Summary of the reduced WHT rates established by DTTs:

Notes

1. 5% of the gross amount of dividends if the beneficiary is a company (excluding consortiums) that directly holds at least 20% of the capital of the company that pays the dividends. 15% of the gross amount of dividends in all other cases.
2. If the beneficiary of the interest is a resident of the other contracting state, the WHT shall not exceed 5% of the gross amount of interest.
3. Taxed in the state in which the income is generated.
4. The 5% withholding applies when the beneficiary directly has at least 20% of the shareholder’s equity of the paying company. In all other cases, the withholding is 12%.
5. The 5% withholding applies when the loan has a duration of at least five years. In all other cases, the withholding is 10%.
6. There is also a treaty with the United Arab Emirates awaiting final approval.