The Colombian government has been working on foreign investment in Colombia, it is for this reason that the tourism and agricultural industry have some tax incentives that seek to attract investors in specific industries that the nation wants to strengthen.

In tourism, the reductions have to do with sales tax and consumption tax established temporarily.

• Reduction of the VAT rate on air tickets that went from 19% to 5% until December 31, 2022.
• Temporary suspension of the payment of the energy surcharge for tourism service providers in the hotel, accommodation, events and parks subsectors.
• Temporary reduction of the consumption tax from 8% to 0% until December 31, 2021
• VAT exemption for hotel and tourism services until December 31, 2021

For the agricultural sector, the most representative tax incentive is the exemption (0% rate) of the income that comes from investments that increase productivity in agriculture for a term of 10 years, complying with the following requirements:

• The Government will set the minimum number of jobs that it must generate, which may not be less than ten collaborators, and administrators do not qualify within this category of “employees”. In turn, it must set the minimum investment amounts, which cannot be less than COP $ 908,000,000 (USD $ 239,000) in six years. If the investment is not achieved, the benefit is lost.

• The main domicile and headquarters of administration and operation must be in Colombia, mainly where productivity is increased.

• The company must be incorporated and start activity before December 31, 2021

• They must have an exclusive corporate purpose which, in general, are agricultural production, coffee production, flower production, banana and plantain, sugar cane, cereals, vegetables and legumes, fruit and nut production, livestock production, among others.

• Annual gross income cannot exceed COP $ 2,905,000,000 (USD 765,000) in each taxable period that the income benefit applies.

Manuel Barbosa de Auren Consultores Colombia