Guatemala Airbnb and SAT

 Guatemala Airbnb versus SAT

New breaking news....!!! SAT (the Superintendencia de Administracion Tributaria = Guatemalan IRS)

is going after the revenues from Airbnb rentals that have not been reported adequately.

How it all started...

 The new technology and the digitization of the world economy makes compilation of data more efficient and  easier to mine.

And the tax administration (aka SAT) is implementing new process to be able to pull out information that allow them to identify revenues that have not been declared and have paid the due taxes associated with.

 

 

They detected :

 

• 2,659 users
• 7.242 properties rented
• 254,453 services delivered (nights basically)
• 109,000,000 US $ paid to the users
   

Of the 2,659 users :

• 2,393 are indivuals
• 266 are legal entities (most common Sociedad Anonima)
   

The location are mostly the tourist destination but 75% from Guatemala - Antigua

then  Pacific coast and the high land (Lake Atitlan, Quetzaltennago)

 

2/3 of them are registered as pequeño contribuyente (billing less then $ 20,000 a year) and registered normally. 

and 805 that are not registered and not paying anything as taxes...

Top five departments of the 7,242 properties location are

Guatemala  2,350

Sacatepequez (Antigua) 1,640

Solola 1,030

Escuintla  563

Santa Rosa  396

What are the most common scenarios recognized

 

1.  no afiliated to pay taxes
2. no billing for the services
3. the tax payer category is not the adequate as the total billing is higher then allowed
4. LLC (SA) with inconsistency in their billing.. often billing for a purpose different of object of the LLC
5. No registered in the electronic billing system
    

These numbers are for 2021 -2022 

Based on this information the SAT will contact the owners, operators reported so they can show if they have complied with their taxes obligations. 

2 options :

1. Wait for the call, email requesting the info...  this option is good if you have just started to bill and you have not yet registered your activity or you are about to do it        
2.   Anticipate and go to the SAT offices explaining your case so you can regularize your situation. if you have not reported anything better to go. As you will have to pay the VAT collected (12%) but can have substancial reductions on the fines...
    

SAT is the Super intendancia de Administracion tributaria