economy
May 8, 2026
Not even four months into 2026, tax revenue already shows shortfalls against the government's target
President Petro's government has not managed to recover its tax revenue. Photo: AI-generated image.
TL;DR
- Colombia's tax revenue in April reached $24.6 trillion, a 10.2% annual increase, but insufficient to meet government fiscal goals.
- Accumulated tax revenue from January to April reached $102.2 trillion, an 8.2% increase compared to 2025, but is $1.7 trillion below the target.
- The government has only met 32.2% of the projected $317.5 trillion tax revenue target for 2026 by April.
- Lower performance in tariffs (down 9.1%) and external VAT (up 2.7%) are attributed to reduced foreign trade and imports.
- Taxes like the financial transaction tax (up 14.5%), consumption tax (up 17.1%), and stamp duty (up 222.9%) show positive performance.
- Public spending commitments in April increased by 4.9% annually, reaching $35 trillion.
- By April, commitments totaled $222.4 trillion, representing 40.7% of the 2026 General Budget, which is $27.6 trillion over the programmed amount.
- The gap between spending acceleration and revenue collection raises concerns about the fiscal deficit and public finance sustainability.