economy

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.

Not even four months into 2026, tax revenue already shows shortfalls against the government's target

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.