The Bogotá District Treasury will stop charging the Industry and Commerce tax (ICA) for payments processed through the BRE electronic system [1].
This change aims to eliminate the additional fees some merchants apply to customers who choose to pay with card terminals. By removing this tax burden from electronic transactions, the city intends to simplify the payment process for both businesses and consumers [1].
The measure is designed to address the practice where shops add a surcharge to cover the cost of the tax when a customer uses a dataphon. The proposal seeks to modernize the collection of the ICA by leveraging the electronic system provided by the Banco de la República [1].
While the city moves toward this electronic simplification, standard tax obligations remain in place for other business activities. Taxpayers were required to declare and pay the ICA by June 12, 2026 [2].
The implementation of the new BRE system policy is expected to take place in the coming months [1]. The move follows a proposal initiated in 2024 to reduce the friction of digital payments in the capital's retail sector [1].
Local merchants have frequently faced challenges balancing the cost of electronic payment processing with the requirements of the ReteICA system. The city government said the goal is to remove these extra costs to encourage the use of digital financial tools across the city [1].
“The Bogotá District Treasury will stop charging the Industry and Commerce tax (ICA) for payments processed through the BRE electronic system.”
This shift represents a strategic move by Bogotá to digitize its economy by removing fiscal barriers to electronic payments. By eliminating the tax surcharge on card transactions, the city is attempting to discourage the common but unofficial practice of merchants passing tax costs onto consumers, potentially increasing the adoption of formal digital payment systems over cash.
