20 percent of motorists have still not paid their 2016 “Marchamo” vehicle tax

(ICR Archive)

December 31^st, 2015 (ICR News) With only hours remaining until the end-of-the-year deadline, some 20 percent of motorists have still not paid the annual road tax, known in Costa Rica as “Marchamo.”

The National Insurance Institute (INS), the agency in charge of administering the collection of the Marchamo, reports that the tax has been paid for nearly one million vehicles, but more than 370,000 vehicles and drivers who have not paid the tax will be exposed to having their license plates confiscated and significant fines and interest beginning tomorrow, January 1st.

INS reports that it has collected some ¢161 billion (more the US $300 million) in Marchamo payments so far.  Some ¢48 billion (nearly US $90 million) in Marchamo payments remain outstanding.

This year, an automatic fine of ¢51,000 is applied for those who fail to pay the road tax by the end of today, December 31^st, in addition to significant daily interest (11 percent per day for the portion of the payment that comprises the compulsory liability insurance and 0.3 percent per day for the property tax portion) for each day that the tax remains unpaid thereafter.

Those who choose to drive a vehicle with expired Marchamo tags face having the vehicle’s license plates confiscated.  Motorists who have their license plates confiscated must appear at the COSEVI office in La Uruca, San Jose, and pay all outstanding fines and interest in order to collect the plates.

Marchamo is a combined road tax, vehicle property tax and minimum liability insurance combined into a single payment that must be paid by December 31^st of each year.