Doing Business In Argentina

(pursuant to Decision 59/07 CMC MERCOSUR). The list of exempted products may be
obtained from the U.S. Commercial Service in Buenos Aires
(Buenos.Aires.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov).
The CET for capital goods was implemented on December 30, 2000 for Argentina, and
was fixed at 14 percent. However, the Argentine Government negotiated with
MERCOSUR members and applied a zero percent import duty for capital goods
produced in non-MERCOSUR countries (Resolution 8/2001 by the Ministry of Economy).
The exception will remain in effect until January 1, 2009. A list of capital goods under
this regime may be obtained from the U.S. Commercial Service in Buenos Aires
(Buenos.Aires.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov).
Information and telecommunications-related (IT) products are regulated by a separate
tariff schedule, which expires on December 31, 2008. After this date all import duties will
begin to converge among MERCOSUR members according to a fixed schedule.
Additionally, Decision 61/07 CMC MERCOSUR asks for revision of the CET for
information and telecommunication-related products that must be applied starting
January 1, 2011. Duty levels for IT products may be obtained from the U.S. Commercial
Service in Buenos Aires (Buenos.Aires.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov).
Also, some goods not produced within MERCOSUR such as newsprint and books, and
certain petroleum products pay zero percent import duties.
The tariffs on imports apply to the declared CIF (Cost + Insurance + Freight) value in
Argentina. In addition to the tariffs, the following fees and taxes are applied:
3/4/2008
0.5 percent statistics fee on the CIF value, with some exceptions. This fee is not
levied on MERCOSUR intra-zone trade.
21 or 10.5 percent (depending upon the product) of Value Added Tax (VAT) on
the CIF value plus tariff plus statistics fee.
10 or 5.5 percent (depending upon the product) of advanced VAT on CIF plus
tariff and statistics fee on all goods imported for resale. Goods imported directly
by end-users are exempted.
3 percent anticipated profits tax on all retail goods, except for goods imported
directly by users. Individuals pay 11 percent.
The CIF value plus the duty and the import statistics fee form the base for the application
of domestic taxes. For this reason, imports must be supported by the foreign supplier's
invoice. VAT and Profits Tax are deductible from gross income tax.
Domestic taxes (i.e. excise taxes) are levied on tobacco, alcoholic beverages, soft
drinks, syrups, extracts and concentrates, television sets, tape recorders, record players,
and microwave appliances, among other products. Excise taxes are paid on the basis of
sworn returns or through stamps affixed to the product. Rates vary considerably,
reaching up to 60 percent of the retail price in the case of cigarettes.
Decree 690/2002 specifies exceptions to the payment of the statistics fee, which include: