2023 Colombian tax filing season is around the corner!

The Colombian 2023 tax filing season is upon us and the dates are approaching for individual persons to begin filing their income tax return with the Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN – National Tax and Customs Directorate).

The tax calendar indicates that starting from August 9th, the deadlines begin for taxpayers in the country to file and make the corresponding payments (if any) for the tax filing period for year 2022.

To avoid being caught off guard by this payment, consider some aspects that could help you fulfill this obligation.

Who should file a tax return?

Disclaimer: barranquilla.guide takes no responsibility for the incorrect or late filing of tax returns and we recommend you seek the advice of a tax professional.

In order to determine if someone needs to file a tax return or not, some factors such as income, assets, purchases, salaries, and transfers from the previous year must be taken into account. DIAN establishes annual thresholds to determine who must fulfill this obligation.

You should speak with an accountant to see if you are required to file your taxes or not. The deadline to file your taxes depends on the last two digits of your cédula de ciudadanía if you’re Colombian. If you have a cedula de extranjería then it depends on the last two numbers of your NIT found in box 5 of your RUT. If you do not have a RUT or a Registro Único Tributario, please speak with your accountant as soon as possible since you cannot file your 2022 tax return without this document. If you file late, you will have to pay a fine of over $400,000 COP.

Question 1: Are You a Tax Resident?

You are considered to be a tax resident if you have been in Colombia more than 183 days over a 365-day period. Keep in mind that this is NOT a calendar year analysis. You have to literally count the days you have been in Colombia over any 12-month period. If yes, you are technically a tax resident.

Question 2: I Am a Tax Resident. Do I Have to File?

In general, you have to file if:

1. The value of your total assets exceeds approx. COP$160M (this includes the value of your real estate, so if it’s valued at over $171 million COP then you need to file); OR
2. Total annual income exceeds approx. 53 million COP; OR
3. Total purchases via a credit card exceed approx. 53 million COP; OR
4. Total purchases via any other method exceed approx. 53 million COP; OR
5. Total banking activity (deposits, transfers, etc…)/financial investments exceed approx. 53 million COP

What is the penalty for not filing or filing my income tax late?

1. Minimum penalty: In 2023, the minimum penalty for non-compliance or incorrect compliance with tax obligations is $424,000 COP. This means that if the taxpayer files one day after the established deadline, they will have to pay this amount, even if the taxpayer is not liable to pay any income tax.
2. Penalty for lateness: There is also a penalty for lateness, which amounts to 5% of the tax payable and increases for each month or fraction of a month that passes between the payment due date and the date the income tax return is filed.

When is the deadline to file?

The deadlines for filing your income tax return for the 2023 Colombian tax filing season is determined based on the last two digits of your cédula de ciudadanía (if you are a Colombian citizen) or tax identification number (NIT) if you are a foreigner, which is assigned by the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) to identify taxpayers.

The established deadlines to fulfill this obligation start on August 9 and end on October 19, 2023.

The deadline is based on the last two digits of your NIT:

August deadlines:

01 and 02: August 9, 2023
03 and 04: August 10, 2023
05 and 06: August 11, 2023
07 and 08: August 14, 2023
09 and 10: August 15, 2023
11 and 12: August 16, 2023
13 and 14: August 17, 2023
15 and 16: August 18, 2023
17 and 18: August 22, 2023
19 and 20: August 23, 2023
21 and 22: August 24, 2023
23 and 24: August 25, 2023
25 and 26: August 28, 2023
27 and 28: August 29, 2023
29 and 30: August 30, 2023
31 and 32: August 31, 2023

September deadlines:

33 and 34: September 1, 2023
35 and 36: September 4, 2023
37 and 38: September 5, 2023
39 and 40: September 6, 2023
41 and 42: September 7, 2023
43 and 44: September 8, 2023
45 and 46: September 11, 2023
47 and 48: September 12, 2023
49 and 50: September 13, 2023
51 and 52: September 14, 2023
53 and 54: September 15, 2023
55 and 56: September 18, 2023
57 and 58: September 19, 2023
59 and 60: September 20, 2023
61 and 62: September 21, 2023
63 and 64: September 22, 2023
65 and 66: September 25, 2023
67 and 68: September 26, 2023
69 and 70: September 27, 2023
71 and 72: September 28, 2023
73 and 74: September 29, 2023

October deadlines:

75 and 76: October 2, 2023
77 and 78: October 3, 2023
79 and 80: October 4, 2023
81 and 82: October 5, 2023
83 and 84: October 6, 2023
85 and 86: October 9, 2023
87 and 88: October 10, 2023
89 and 90: October 11, 2023
91 and 92: October 12, 2023
93 and 94: October 13, 2023
95 and 96: October 17, 2023
97 and 98: October 18, 2023
99 and 00: October 19, 2023

Once the stress of the 2023 Colombian tax filing season is over, we recommend that you look through our Events page and find an upcoming event to kick back and relax at. Good luck!