Country: Costa Rica

Costa Rica vs British Tobacco Centroamérica S.A. March 2022, Supreme Court, Case No 750-2022

The tax authorities had started investigating a sales contract that British Tobacco Centroamérica S.A. had with a related company abroad for the import of goods. The historical price of the imported goods was compared to the price contained in the later sales contract. In the customs forms, the company declared one value, but in its […]

Costa Rica vs GlaxoSmithKline Costa Rica S.A., February 2022, Supreme Court, Case No 383-2022 (4-001638-1027-CA)

GlaxoSmithKline Costa Rica S.A. manufactures pharma products which is sold to both independent customers in the region and to group companies abroad. For FY 2004 and 2005 pricing of the controlled transactions had been determined based on the TNMM method using return on total costs (ROTC) as PLI. GSK said the range of return on […]

Costa Rica vs Corrugados del Guarco S.A., March 2018, Supreme Court, Case No 13-002632-1027-CA

Corrugados del Guarco S.A. had declared losses on controlled transactions for FY 2003, 2004 and 2005 as export prices for these transactions had been set below cost and without profit margin, and also different from the price charged for that product to other independent or unrelated companies, in favour of its related company Envases Nicaragüenses S.A. According […]

Costa Rica vs Reca Química S.A., December 2017, Supreme Court, Case No 01586 – 2017

Reca Química is active in industrial production of paints and synthetic resins. Its parent company is H.B. Fuller which is based in the United States. According to the “Transfer Pricing Policy” set by the parent company of the group and in place since 1992, a 10% margin on sales was applied to inventory transferred between […]

Costa Rica vs Reca Química, September 2015, Administrative Court, Case No 00147 – 2015 Case File 11-006793-1027-CA

Reca Química is active in industrial production of paints and synthetic resins. Its parent company is H.B. Fuller which is based in the United States. According to the “Transfer Pricing Policy” set by the parent company and in place since 1992, a 10% margin on sales was applied to inventory transferred between affiliates. However, during […]

Costa Rica vs Nestlé, October 2013, Court of Appeal, Case No Nº 01365 – 2013 Case File 09-002823-1027-CA

Nestlé de Costa Rica S.A. had been issued a tax assessment in which the taxable income for FY 2005 and 2006 was adjusted with an additional amount of ¢60,609,096.00 and ¢75,663,084.00. According to the tax authorities, the sales made by Nestlé to its related companies located in Chile, Switzerland and Puerto Rico had a profit […]

Costa Rica vs Nestlé, April 2012, Supreme Court, Case No 10-017768-0007-CO Res. Nº 2012004940

In an appeal to the Supreme Court in Costa Rica, Nestlé claimed that the basis for an arm’s length adjustment was unconstitutional, since the arms length principle as described in the OECD transfer pricing guidelines had not been incorporated into the laws of Costa Rica. Judgement of the Supreme Court The Court dismissed the appeal […]