How much would Colombians pay less if the VAT is eliminated with the proposal in Congress?

Portafolio Journalist 03.05.2026 17:50 Updated: 03.05.2026 17:50

How much would Colombians pay less if the VAT is eliminated with the proposal in Congress?

TL;DR

  • A proposal in the Colombian Congress seeks to replace the 19% VAT with an 8% national consumption tax.
  • The initiative aims to simplify the tax system by taxing final consumption directly.
  • The new tax would not include VAT's value-added mechanisms or prior chain discounts.
  • One percent of the new tax revenue would be earmarked for health (0.5%) and education (0.5%), including public higher education.
  • The change would simplify tax collection and reduce administrative burdens, particularly for SMEs.
  • For example, a 100,000 peso purchase would cost 108,000 pesos with the new tax, compared to 119,000 pesos with the current 19% VAT.