Frequently asked questions
What is the withholding base for purchases and services?
Since Decreto 0572 of 2025, the base is 10 UVT for goods purchases and 2 UVT for services. The Council of State suspended the decree on May 7, 2026 and revoked that suspension on June 2, 2026, effective July 1, 2026; the earlier bases of 27 and 4 UVT applied from May 8 to June 30, 2026. Today the 10 and 2 UVT bases apply again. The suspension was lifted, but the underlying case is still pending. The applicable rate is also not the same for everyone: it changes depending on whether the supplier receiving the payment is an income-tax filer or not.
Why is the minimum base a round number?
Article 868 of the Colombian Tax Code requires rounding to the nearest multiple of a thousand the values that come from converting UVT to pesos — that is why the 10-UVT base, 523,740 pesos, becomes 524,000 pesos. Withheld amounts are shown to the peso.
When do reteIVA and reteICA apply?
ReteIVA is 15% of the VAT charged, and only a registered VAT withholding agent applies it, on invoices above the concept’s minimum base. ReteICA depends on each municipality’s per-thousand rate — there is no single rate in Colombia, so you enter it yourself based on where the transaction takes place.
Who withholds on a debit or credit card purchase?
On purchases paid by debit or credit card, income tax withholding and reteIVA are applied by the card issuer to the seller, not by the buyer — that is why this calculator shows them as informational and does not subtract them from the net payable.
Who is exempt from income tax withholding?
Suppliers under the Simple Tax Regime and self-withholding agents are not subject to income tax withholding (art. 911, paragraph 1 of the Tax Code) — verify their status before applying any rate. Fees paid to individuals can also be calculated using the article 383 table of the Tax Code when the individual states they have not hired or engaged two or more workers associated with their activity (paragraph 2).