Panama vs Costa Rica
Corporate Tax Comparison
Time of Update: Panama: 4/04/2026 / Costa Rica: 4/06/2026
Compare Panama and Costa Rica corporate tax rates, filing due dates, withholding tax, VAT, capital gains tax, and effective tax metrics for cross-border company planning.
Panama vs Costa Rica Corporate Tax Comparison
Basic Corporate Tax Comparison
Corporate Income Tax (CIT)
Panama
Costa Rica
General CIT Rate:
25
General CIT Rate:
30%
CIT Return Due Date:
Three months after the end of the fiscal year.
CIT Return Due Date:
CIT return is generally due by 15 March
CIT Payment Due Date:
Tax payments must be made within three months after the end of the respective accounting period.
CIT Payment Due Date:
Final payment should also be made by 15 March
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after the end of the tax year.
CIT Estimated Payment Due Date:
Estimated CIT payments must be made quarterly, with 75% of the amount split equally among June, September, and December.
Withholding Tax (WHT)
Panama
Costa Rica
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
5, 10 - 20/NA/NA
Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
15/15/0
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
5, 10 - 20/12.5/12.5
None-Resident Withholding Tax (Dividend/Interest/Royalty):
15/15/25
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Capital Gain Tax (CGT)
Panama
Costa Rica
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
Return on investment sees Panama Company tax summary.
General Capital Gain Tax Rate:
15% (2.25% under certain conditions)
Effective Tax Rate (ETR)
Panama
Costa Rica
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
23.33%
Composite Effective Average Tax Rate:
28.24%
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
18.47%
Composite Effective Marginal Tax Rate:
26.12%
