Jalil Weighs Unifying Catamarca Elections, Economy Ministry Proposes Changes to Tax Innocence Regime

Catamarca Governor Raúl Jalil anticipated that the province will likely unify its elections with the national elections next October, according to statements reported by La Derecha Diario. The decision, he explained, responds to a matter of resource management: he argued that a separate election entails a significant cost and said he prefers to allocate that money to public works. «I’d rather build a bridge than hold an election,» he said.

Jalil indicated that he has already discussed the calendar with National Senator and President of the Catamarca PJ party, Lucía Corpacci, and with Cabinet Chief Diego Santilli. «It’s very likely, and I’ve discussed it with Lucía Corpacci, with Diego Santilli, that the election will be in October,» he said. He clarified that there is still time to formally define the electoral scenario and stressed that his current priority is governing and managing.

The governor was also asked about the officialization as a provincial party of Encuentro Catamarca, the space led by his brother Fernando Jalil. He avoided fully entering the electoral discussion and asked party leaders to focus on governance. He recalled that during Lucía Corpacci’s administration there was a tradition of holding provincial elections in October.

At the same press conference, Jalil referred to the criminal complaint filed by the opposition group Generar against former Minister Alberto Kozicki, his then Energy Secretary Máximo Ramírez, and those responsible for MEGA SRL, the company awarded the construction of the Lavalle-Catamarca Gas Pipeline. The governor responded: «Their politics is to file complaints.» He explained that the project was halted after the national government of Alberto Fernández interrupted its financing. According to his account, the province later renegotiated with the company and established that the firm had to cover a certain amount. He added that the current Minister of Water, Energy and Environment, Eduardo Niederle, is holding talks with Ecogas to evaluate the possibilities of resuming the project. The project, he clarified, requires an investment of «many millions of dollars.»

Proposed changes to the Tax Innocence regime

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy announced modifications to the Tax Innocence Bill. Minister Luis Caputo, along with the Legal and Technical Secretary of the Presidency, María Ibarzabal Murphy, held a press conference to announce the changes. «The spirit of the law does not change in absolutely anything. The goal remains that those savings can be formalized in the banking system without any penalty of any kind,» Caputo stated.

The head of Economy explained that the decision to push a new law arose after receiving observations from tax advisors on various aspects of the previously approved regulation. «Over the weeks and months we gathered this information. We set up a working group with tax specialists to clarify some issues that help citizens feel much more at ease that, regardless of who is in government, they will be covered in these situations,» he said.

Caputo stressed that the initiative seeks to respond to a process of growing informality generated by years of high tax pressure, fiscal deficit, monetary emission, inflation, and exchange restrictions. He noted that these factors led many Argentines to keep their savings outside the financial system. He indicated that currently, even though dollar deposits in the financial system reach record levels close to 40 billion dollars, there is an amount more than four times that figure in savings kept outside the banking circuit.

The four main changes

The first change relates to the subjects that can enter the simplified earnings affidavit system. Today, to enter the regime, the law requires the taxpayer to simultaneously meet three conditions: income not exceeding ONE BILLION PESOS annually; total assets not exceeding TEN BILLION PESOS; and not qualifying as a «Large Taxpayer» under ARCA rules. The bill eliminates these: the regime is open to all resident individuals and undivided estates in the country without distinction of assets or income, with an exception regarding «Large Taxpayers.» The bill clarifies that «Large Taxpayers» may adhere to the «simplified modality» but do not enjoy the presumptions, liberating effects, or other benefits provided by the law.

The second change touches one of the most sensitive points of the regime: when the tax authority can break the presumption of accuracy of the taxpayer. Today the law says that if ARCA’s challenge results in an increase of 15% or more over what was declared, the presumption automatically falls. The bill introduces a minimum threshold: even if 15% is exceeded, the presumption of accuracy is not broken if the nominal difference claimed does not reach the equivalent of 5% of the evasion amount provided in Art. 1 of the Tax Criminal Law. In concrete numbers: if the difference does not exceed FIVE MILLION PESOS, the presumption is maintained.

If ARCA detects a significant discrepancy, the taxpayer may now file an amended affidavit and pay the difference (plus corresponding interest) within up to 15 business days from being notified of the official determination.

The fourth change provides an additional tool to the taxpayer. First: the presumption of accuracy is fully restored; and Second: ARCA is obliged to refund the contributions paid with interest, within no more than 45 business days from notification of the final resolution.

Source contrast and limitations

The sources consulted address different topics and do not corroborate each other. La Derecha Diario is a secondary source that reproduces statements by Governor Jalil at a press conference. The Ministry of Economy is a primary source that publishes an official statement on the bill. There is no thematic coincidence between the two: one refers to Catamarca’s electoral calendar and the other to national tax modifications. Therefore, it is not possible to establish direct comparisons between the data they provide. The only connection is that both events occur in the same period, but there is no causal relationship or verifiable link in the material.

What data to follow

On the electoral front, it remains to be confirmed whether Catamarca will finally unify its elections with the national ones in October and whether the date will be made official. It is also worth following the status of the criminal complaint against former officials over the Lavalle-Catamarca Gas Pipeline and the talks with Ecogas to resume the project. On the tax front, the Tax Innocence bill must be sent to Congress and debated; the changes in thresholds and deadlines are the central points to monitor. The evolution of dollar deposits and the formalization of savings will be indicators of implementation.

Value module: data comparison

Methodological note: no currency conversions are made because no official exchange rate is available in the material. Values are presented in their original unit. The comparison is merely descriptive and does not imply a relationship between the topics.