Honduran Government to file new tax reform before the National Congress

The Honduran Government announced that they will file before the National Congress the “Bill on Tax Justice,” (Bill) which would significantly reform the current tax system. Some of the main provisions of the Bill would:

• Add a worldwide income taxation principle that would tax all the local source and foreign source income, obtained by Honduran natural or legal persons, residents or domiciled, originated from the work or capital, or a combination of both

• Eliminate bank secrecy for tax and customs purposes

• Ratify the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters

• Create an Ultimate Beneficial Owner Registry managed by the Tax Authority (in Spanish “Servicio de Administración de Rentas”)

• Amend provisions regarding the benefits of 10 different tax exoneration regimes, including the benefits contained in the Law of Free Zones (in Spanish, “Ley de Zonas Libres”, ZOLI); grandfathering provisions for benefits already granted may apply

• Create the Development Incentives Regime (in Spanish, “Régimen de Incentivos para el Desarrollo, RINDE) and the Free Trade Zone Regime for new investments.

It is important to note that provisions in the Bill on Tax Justice may undergo changes during the parliamentary process, discussion, and approval of the Bill in the National Congress.

For additional information with respect to this Alert, please contact the following:

Ernst & Young Honduras, S. de R. L.

• Rafael Sayagues

• Juan Carlos Chavarria

• Antonio Ruiz

• Guillermo Leandro

• Randall Oquendo

• Paola Castro

• Juan Herrera

Ernst & Young LLP (United States), Latin American Business Center, New York

• Lucas Moreno

• Ana Mingramm

• Pablo Wejcman

• Enrique Perez Grovas

Ernst & Young LLP (United Kingdom), Latin American Business Center, London

• Lourdes Libreros

Ernst & Young Tax Co., Latin American Business Center, Japan & Asia Pacific

• Raul Moreno, Tokyo

• Luis Coronado, Singapore

For a full listing of contacts and email addresses, please click on the Tax News Update: Global Edition (GTNU) version of this Alert.