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New Home Costs, Taxes, to Climb

By Qcostarica.com

If you’re contemplating building a new home next year, prepare yourself to pay higher taxes than before, reports the national newspaper La Nacion.

But you’ll have to pay higher construction costs on which the taxes are predicated, say officials. The paper reported that you’ll pay 29.7% to 41% more in taxes next year than this year.

In the case of a home with the outside wall of concrete block termed a VCO1 type, the building cost of 145,000 colones per square meter this year will be 190,000 colones in 2013, a 31% hike, say tax officials.

 

Carlos Vargas of the tax collection department says this should give some idea of taxes if you own an older home — just deduct the years of depreciation after it was completed.

But Alonso Arroyo, a tax lawyer with the BLP Abogados law firm feels strongly that the government is nicking the home owner. He says construction costs have not increased as much as the officials figure.

Arroyo says that if you take the last two years into account, that would mean that construction costs have doubled in the two years since 2010, he says. That just isn’t the case, he says.

But Vargas counters that in the past, costs for taxation purposes were calculated every two or three years. That means that the 2010 figure Arroyo cites was calculated in 2007.

If the government insists, it could affect the construction industry as new home builders cut back their plans or even cancel them. It also seems likely that some suits in the constitutional court may result, somewhat akin to those that followed the traffic law of 2010.

 

More Regional News

Generous Tips Restricted By Credit Cards

A curious case emerged this past October when a server at Guiones' Gilded Iguana was tipped large by a generous customer. The finale take for the server, however, was only a fraction due to a little-known policy by credit card companies to restrict tip pay-outs.

Tourism in Costa Rica Still Suffering…but Not So Much.

Complaints from Costa Rican tourism businesses have been constant since the crisis of 2008-2009, but now a survey shows that business is not so bad.

Municipality and Government Met with Those Affected by Earthquake

The Municipality of Nicoya and the Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements(MIVAH—Ministerio de Vivienda y Asentamientos Humanos) met with those who have suffered damage to their homes from the earthquake of September 5th and the subsequent aftershocks.

Foreigners Must Be Legal Residents To Drive in Costa Rica

Rick and Lorraine have been coming to Costa Rica for the last ten years. Like good tourists they fueled the country’s top industry, tourism. And like many Canadian tourists, they fell in love with paradise.

Women of Costa Rica over burdened with responsibilities

Costa Rican women not only devote to household chores more than double the time men do, but also allocate more time to their professional training, according to local media.

Operating Rooms Will Reopen at the End of November

The long wait for surgical services at La Anexion Hospital in Nicoya will soon end.  The two operating rooms will be ready on November 26th, when they have approval from the Ministry of Healthy. 

Vigil Held To Protest Health Cuts At Nicoya Hospital

About a dozen protesters sat themselves upon the grounds of Nicoya's Annexation Hospital at night on Thursday November 16th in an effort to highlight the hospital’s budget cuts.

There are Now 16 Real Estate Frauds in Nosara

Currently a criminal band is stealing or buying the properties they hire someone else to steal, pretending to be the legitimate owners. Only this year, by the end of the month of October, we learned of 10 cases, which give us an average of one per month.

Public Force and OIJ Deal a Blow to the Stolen Goods Market in Nicoya

The Public Force and the Organism of Judicial Investigation (OIJ) performed a joint operation throughout the day on Friday, November 9 in Nicoya, during which they decommissioned stolen articles equivalent to several million colones (thousands of dollars).

Presidency Published Gag Law Against Journalists and the Media

The Presidency of the Republic on Tuesday, November 6th published in La Gaceta the law that will punish journalists and citizens with up to 10 years in prison if they disseminate “secret political information.”

CONAVI Temporarily Stepped In Over Río Montaña Bridge

Last Friday November 2nd the Concejo Nacional de Vialidad (National Highway Council- CONAVI) repaired damages to the bridge over Río Montaña.

New rules for vehicle technical inspection (RTV) in January

A police officer from the Fuerza Publica, driving while intoxicated, crossed into oncoming traffic and caused a head on collision with another vehicle, killing its driver.

Drunken Nicoya police officer kills driver in head-on collision

A police officer from the Fuerza Publica, driving while intoxicated, crossed into oncoming traffic and caused a head on collision with another vehicle, killing its driver.

Letter from the Editors
Celebrating Ten Years of Connecting Communities, and More to Come

For ten years now, the Voice of Nosara has been serving Nosara and the surrounding communities with the goal of connecting and uniting people—not just people in different towns but people of different backgrounds, nationalities and languages.

Citizen Journalists (THAT MEANS YOU!) Are Shaping the Future of Reporting

“Citizen journalism” has become a standard part of the way we gather and report news. But that was not always so.

Interview with Liza Vogt, Voice of Nosara’s First Publisher

Why was the newspaper started? 
VON was started for two reasons: to dispel many of the rumors that were constantly flying around Nosara and also to inform residents and tourists of current situations and upcoming events.

Most Talked About Stories

Our editors reviewed every print edition of The Voice of Nosara from October 2002 until September 2012 and chose the most talked about stories based on letters to the editor, comments made to reporters or on Facebook and follow-up stories.

The Most Repeated Themes During Ten Year

Our editors reviewed every print edition of The Voice of Nosara from October 2002 until September 2012 and counted how many articles were printed on each subject.

“They want to kick us out when we’ve lived here all our lives,”
Oscar Chavarría, resident of Garza

“I’ve lived here for 30 years and now they tell us that they want to annul our property titles and kick us out of our homes,” commented Oscar Chavarria indignantly. He lives in Playa Garza with his wife and daughter.

 

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