Disclaimer: Government systems in Ecuador change each and every month without fail. The information contained in this guide was accurate as of the date of this writing, 21 JUNE 2011, but this article will not be updated on a regular basis.
In Ecuador property taxes for a given year are assessed at the beginning of January are not considered late as long as they are paid before the end of the year. For properties within the city limits there are actually five different property taxes which, all combined, will cost you less than $300 per year.
Every Canton can set its own property tax rates within the wide range of values defined by the law. The pictures and specific rate details below pertain to the Canton of Cuenca.
Information on paying online and for paying property taxes for other parts of Ecuador is included at the end of this article. Chaullabamba, San Joaquin, and Tarqui, are all located inside the canton of Cuenca. Your title paperwork will state which canton has jurisdiction over your property.
PAYING IN PERSON:
Although there are a few other locations where property taxes for the Canton of Cuenca can be paid, this one, located across the street from Parque Calderon, is the easiest to find.
Once inside you can pay your property taxes at windows number 3-11.
Above is a picture of a property tax receipt (Carta de Pago) for 2010. Depending on the tax year and where the payment is made the look of the receipt can very dramatically. To pay the property taxes you need to be able to tell the clerk your property's Tax ID (Clave Catastral) numbers. Having an old Carta de Pago from a previous year is best way to get the Tax ID numbers for your property. If you don't have any old tax receipts then look in your title paperwork which may contain the Clave Catastral numbers.
Note: For condos the living area has a separate Tax ID number from the underground parking spaces and storage unit which each have their own Tax ID numbers.
Last year's taxes were calculated and ready to be charged on the 5th of January, and this year's(2011) on the 3rd of January.
We recommend to our clients that they wait till the end of January or early February to avoid having to wait inline for hours and hours.
EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNTS:
Below is a chat showing the early payment discounts on urban property taxes for the Cuenca area 2011:
| First half of the month of January: | 10% |
| Second half of the month of January: | 9% |
| First half of the month of February: | 8% |
| Second half of the month of February: | 7% |
| First half of the month of March: | 6% |
| Second half of the month of March: | 5% |
| First half of the month of April: | 4% |
| Second half of the month of April: | 3% |
| First half of the month of May: | 3% |
| Second half of the month of May: | 2% |
| First half of the month of June: | 2% |
| Second half of the month of June: | 1% |
*For rural properties in the Canton of Cuenca, paying before the 1st of March of each year gives you a discount.
PAYING ONLINE:
https://www.cuenca.gov.ec/payclub/consultadigital.php
You will have to enter in the clave catastral numbers unless the property is registered in the city under a Cedula or RUC number. When you hit the consult button then you will see all the taxes for all the properties registered under the same RUC or Cedula number that you have entered into the search box. In a condominium each parking space will usually have its own clave catastral number; the same goes for storage rooms.
OTHER PARTS OF AZUAY PROVINCE:
Other than Cuenca there are other cantons in the province of Azuay that may have jurisdiction over your property taxes.
OTHER AREAS IN ECUADOR:
To see a list of all cantons in Ecuador and their contact information just click on the link below and then under the heading Entidades Públicas click on the word “Municipios”.
http://www.tramitesciudadanos.gob.ec/oficinas_institucion.php
Tags: clave catastral, ecuador, how to pay property taxes, low taxes, predio rustico, predio urbano, property tax