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