Colombia Income Tax: Quake-Hit Departments Get an Extra Two Months to File
Colombia · Expats
Key Facts
- —Who gets it Residents whose RUT tax address sits in Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindio, Caldas, Choco or Cauca.
- —The new window August filing deadlines would move to late October and November 2026.
- —Staggered by ID Your date depends on the last two digits of your ID number, so no two groups file at once.
- —Customs paused Customs deadlines were suspended from 10 August to 10 September 2026 in the region.
- —Big filers excluded Large taxpayers do not get this relief and keep their normal deadlines.
Live in the coffee region or on the Pacific coast. A draft decree could hand you until late October or November to file, but only if your paperwork lines up.
If you are a tax resident in western Colombia, your Colombia income tax deadline may have shifted by two months. A draft government decree would push filing for people in six quake-hit departments from August into late October and November.
What This Means for You
First, the plain version, stripped of the jargon. If you live in the affected region, you may have about two extra months to file.
But there is a single catch that decides everything here. The relief follows your registered tax address, not just the place where you happen to sleep.
So the real question is refreshingly simple. Is your official address on file with the tax office sitting inside one of these six departments.
Who Qualifies for the Colombia Income Tax Extension
The relief is aimed at natural persons, meaning individuals rather than companies. It also reaches estates of people who have died and are still being settled.
What counts is the tax address you had on record as of 10 August 2026. That is the snapshot the authority took on the day the quake struck.
If that address sat inside one of the six named departments, you are in. If it did not, then nothing about your deadline changes at all.
The Six Departments Covered
The draft names six departments in western Colombia. They are Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindio, Caldas, Choco and Cauca.
That takes in the coffee belt and the Pacific coast. Think cities such as Cali, Pereira, Armenia, Manizales, Quibdo and Popayan.
The list follows the tax office districts, not just the map. The decree spells out which local offices fall inside each department.
How the New Deadlines Work
There is no single new date for everyone. Instead, the deadlines are spread out by the last two digits of your ID number.
The draft starts the special dates in late October. As an example, the authority cited 27 October 2026 for the first group.
From there the dates run on into November. Your own date depends entirely on where your ID number falls in the order.
What ‘Tax Resident’ Means for a Foreigner
You do not need a Colombian passport to count as a tax resident here. In broad terms, you become one if you spend enough of the year inside the country.
The common test is simply time on the ground, counted over any rolling twelve-month period. Ties such as a permanent home or a local job can also pull you in.
Once you are a resident, Colombia can tax your income and will expect an annual filing. That is precisely why these shifting deadlines may apply to you at all.
What Your RUT Address Has to Do With It
The RUT is your entry in Colombia’s official tax register. Every resident who files has one, and it always lists a formal address.
That registered address is exactly what the relief keys on. It is not about where you happen to live day to day this particular month.
So it is well worth checking your RUT right now. If the address is out of date, it may no longer reflect where you actually are.
The Customs Suspension
There is a second strand aimed at trade, not personal filing. Customs deadlines in the region were suspended for a month.
The pause runs from 10 August to 10 September 2026. It covers customs offices serving cities such as Pereira, Quibdo and Cali.
This part matters if you import or run a business with shipments. For most individual filers, the income-tax dates are the point.
Why Large Taxpayers Are Left Out
The relief has a clear exception written into it. Large taxpayers, a formal category, do not get the new dates.
If you hold that status, you already know it. It is assigned by the authority and is not something ordinary residents fall into.
For everyone else, the exclusion is not a worry. The typical individual filer is nowhere near that bracket.
How to Check Your Own Deadline
Start with two pieces of paper, in effect. You need your ID number and the address listed on your RUT.
Confirm the RUT address first, because that decides whether you qualify at all. You can see it in the tax office online portal.
Then match the last two digits of your ID to the published schedule. That tells you the exact day your filing is due.
What to Do If You Are Unsure
When you are in any doubt at all, assume your old deadline still stands. It is far safer to file early than to miss a date you only thought had moved.
A local accountant, known here as a contador, can confirm your exact position quickly. Many foreigners already lean on one to handle their annual filing.
Keep any proof of your registered address to hand. If a deadline is ever questioned, that record is what settles it.
It Is Still a Draft, So Confirm Before You Relax
One important caveat sits over all of this. As of Thursday, 13 August 2026, it is a draft decree, not a final law.
The authority published the proposal for comment in mid-August. Measures like this are usually adopted, but the wording can still shift.
So treat the new dates as very likely, not locked. Check the tax office channels before you let your August deadline pass.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I qualify for the extension?
You qualify if you are an individual tax resident whose registered RUT address was in Valle del Cauca. Risaralda, Quindio, Caldas, Choco or Cauca as of 10 August 2026.
How do I find my new deadline?
Your date is set by the last two digits of your ID number. With the first group cited for 27 October 2026 and others running into November.
What if my RUT address is not in those departments?
Then the relief does not apply to you, and your normal August or September deadline still stands. The extension follows your registered address, not just where you are living now.
Is it final?
Not yet. As of 13 August 2026 it is a draft decree published for comment, so the dates are near-certain but not locked.
Sources: DIAN, Ministerio de Hacienda draft decree (proyecto de decreto), published for public comment mid-August 2026.
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