- Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled that President Petro’s emergency taxes, including a 19% VAT on online gambling and alcohol, were unconstitutional and must be reimbursed.
- The government faces a COP 25bn (€5.5m–€6m) liability, mainly from VAT collected between late December 2025 and January 2026.
- The VAT disrupted Colombia’s online gambling market, causing foreign operators to reduce investment and a 30% decline in gambling tax receipts.
- Only taxes directly paid by claimants will be refunded; funds from voluntary tax settlements (COP 1.6 trillion) will not be returned.
- The Court emphasized that fiscal policy changes require Congressional approval, marking a major setback for Petro’s administration ahead of the May 2026 election.
Source: igamingexpert.com
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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