Sunat prepares stricter collection rules for informal mining

Peru’s tax administration, Sunat, is preparing to enforce stricter collection rules targeting informal mining operations and widespread tax evasion, utilizing mandatory withholdings known as detracciones to capture revenues across the mineral supply chain, Gestión reported.

Sunat Targets Mineral Processing Plants to Curb Evasion

El jefe de la Sunat outlined the fiscal strategy during the “Perspectivas Económicas 2027: Las decisiones empiezan hoy” event, as reported by Gestión. Tax evasion remains a significant fiscal drain in Latin America, where the most efficient regional economies still experience shortfalls equivalent to 4% of Gross Domestic Product. In Peru, every single percentage point of GDP loss represents roughly 14,000 million soles.

To combat this deficit, the administration is focusing heavily on the General Sales Tax (IGV) and deploying aggressive measures against fake invoices alongside structured withholding mechanisms. Informal mining represents a particularly fertile ground for revenue generation. While the extraction phase often operates outside formal channels, the export endpoint is strictly formal. Sunat plans to bridge this gap by designating mineral processing plants to act as customs-like checkpoints. Under this framework, any formal entity purchasing mineral from informal sources must retain a portion of the payment as a mandatory detracción.

That withheld sum functions as an enforced tax collection tool. Informal operators could theoretically settle their tax liabilities or request refunds, but doing so would require subjecting themselves to direct administrative audits. Consequently, unclaimed withholdings remain with the tax authority as collected revenue.

Sunat Seeks International Cooperation to Track Offshore Holdings

Beyond domestic supply chains, Sunat is setting its sights on offshore holdings and foreign investments. Administrative teams are currently processing intelligence regarding capital flows held outside the country. To handle complex cross-border financial data, the agency is seeking technical cooperation from international public institutions and specialized organizations.

The state agency also intends to formalize regular dialogues with commercial and industrial guilds before the end of the year. These scheduled engagements aim to establish collaborative technical agendas rather than spontaneous meetings. Three distinct audit guidelines will be published before January to clarify administrative standards regarding interest deductions on loans.

“Vamos a medir cómo se comporta el mercado con estos instrumentos,” stated Luna Victoria regarding the new market interventions, adding that ongoing investigations will ultimately culminate in formal prosecutorial files and criminal complaints.