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Enter the plate to get the car's fiscal value, plus the agreed sale price. We show the estimated cost of registering the transfer at the Registro Nacional, item by item.
The price agreed between buyer and seller.
Enter the fiscal value or the sale price to see the cost.
Estimate using the current Registro Nacional and Hacienda rates and the notary fee schedule. The notary confirms the exact amount when the deed is signed.
Almost every item is calculated on the transfer value: the higher of the sale price and the fiscal value Hacienda assigns to the vehicle.
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax | 2.5% of the transfer value |
| Registro Nacional fees | 0.5% of the transfer value (minimum ₡2 000) |
| Agrarian stamp | 0.3% of the transfer value |
| Bar association stamp | up to ₡250 000: exempt up to ₡1 000 000: ₡1 000 up to ₡5 000 000: ₡2 000 up to ₡25 000 000: ₡5 000 up to ₡50 000 000: ₡10 000 up to ₡100 000 000: ₡15 000 up to ₡500 000 000: ₡25 000 over ₡500 000 000: ₡50 000 |
| Other stamps (National Parks, Red Cross, Archive, Wildlife) | ₡2 150 (fixed amount) |
| Notary fee | up to ₡11 000 000: 2% up to ₡16 500 000: 1.5% on the excess up to ₡33 000 000: 1.25% on the excess over ₡33 000 000: 1% on the excess minimum ₡60 500 |
| VAT on the notary fee | 13% of the notary fee |
For a ₡4 to ₡10 million car, about 5.6% of the transfer value; cheaper cars approach 7% because of the notary's minimum fee. It covers 2.5% tax, 0.5% Registro fees, 0.3% agrarian stamp, fixed stamps and the notary fee (2% up to ₡11 million, with a ₡60,500 minimum) plus 13% VAT on that fee.
The higher of the price in the deed and the vehicle's fiscal value recorded by Hacienda (Ley 7088, article 13). Declaring a price below the fiscal value doesn't lower the tax.
The law doesn't say: buyer and seller agree on it. Most often the buyer pays.
Hacienda allows 25 business days from the signing of the deed. After that, interest and a 10% monthly penalty apply, up to 100% of the tax, and the Registro won't record the transfer until it's paid.
No. Ley 10586 abolished the timbre fiscal on deeds and contracts from December 2024, so it isn't included.
Find lawyers and notaries for the transfer, or get the car inspected before you sign.
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