The Finance Ministry investigation has fully identified a total of 69 local companies and corporations with links to cases listed in the Panama Papers. The remaining 51 are still under investigation.
Messages are being sent to owners of high-value properties or those who have recently purchased luxury vehicles but submitted tax returns reporting low income, which exempts them from paying income tax.
Currently some 952,000 workers in Costa Rica are exempt from the income tax but that figure likely would decrease if the Finance Ministry approves lower income brackets used to calculate taxes.
Costa Rica's public health care agency hopes to recover some of that debt by signing an agreement with the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) to promote payment plans among its associates.
The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, or Sala IV, on Wednesday evening ruled three articles of the country's Corporate Tax Law unconstitutional, and as a result, collection will be suspended starting next year. The tax must be paid this year, however, by this Saturday's deadline.
Employees whose gross monthly income is less than ₡793,000 ($1,455) will be exempt from paying income tax, according to the latest update for the fiscal year 2015 approved by the Finance Ministry last week.
Representatives of the Costa Rican Restaurants Chamber warned this week that restaurant owners could face liquidity problems due to a 2 percent charge that banks will assess on all dining payments made with credit and debit cards.
Legislative Assembly President Henry Mora on Monday evening asked the legislative appointments commission to immediately start the process of selecting candidates for ombudsman following the resignation Monday of Ofelia Taitelbaum.
