The Decree-Law Creating the Redeemable Tax on Non-Returnable Plastic Bottles was published on September 21, 2023. It created the Redeemable Tax on Non-Returnable Plastic Bottles (the “Redeemable Tax”, known as the “IRBP” in the Spanish acronym). The Redeemable Tax taxes the bottling or import of beverages in PET plastic bottles at a fixed rate of USD 0.02 per plastic bottle. The law allows for the tax to be refunded in full to recyclers-processors.
On May 23, 2024, the General Regulations for the Decree-Law Creating the Redeemable Tax on Non-Returnable Plastic Bottles (the “Regulations”) were issued.
The Regulations establish that payers of the Redeemable Tax on Non-Returnable Plastic Bottles must declare and pay the tax on taxable operations within the first five days of the month after the month in which the taxable event occurs.
For imports of PET-bottled beverages, the Redeemable Tax must be declared and paid for every import of such goods.
The Regulations define a recycler as an individual or legal person who is engaged in the processing and transformation of non-returnable PET bottles and who has obtained the corresponding certification.
The Regulations also govern the processing of payment requests for the recycling of non-returnable PET bottles, stating that the requests must be processed within 45 days. The Regulations establish guidelines for the control of the recycling process.
Lastly, the Regulations establish that the provisions in the regulations issued by President Lasso on November 24, 2023, will be applicable until the secondary regulations to be issued by the Ministry for Production, Foreign Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition come into effect.
Editorial Board
