SRI Implements New Withholding Tax Structure Effective March 1

Rate Changes

Category	Previous Rate	New Rate (March 1, 2026)
General withholding	2.75%	Eliminated
New tariff	N/A	5%
Credit card payments	N/A	2%
Insurance/reinsurance	N/A	2%
Leasing payments	N/A	2%
Construction contracts	N/A	2%

Implementation Details

• Effective date: March 1, 2026
• Grace period: Companies have until March 31, 2026 to update accounting and payment systems without facing penalties
• New withholding agents: The SRI has appointed additional entities as withholding agents under the new structure
• Compliance: All entities making payments in the affected categories must apply the new rates to transactions from March 1 onward

Individual Income Tax Filing

Individual income tax declarations for the 2025 fiscal year are due in March 2026, with dates assigned by the ninth digit of the taxpayer's cédula or RUC:

• Deadlines range from March 10 to March 28 depending on the ninth digit
• Late filing triggers penalties and interest
• Electronic filing through the SRI portal is mandatory

Sector Impact

Construction: The 2% withholding on construction contracts affects both contractors and developers. For a sector expected to grow 4.1% in 2026, the administrative burden is non-trivial but the withholding itself is creditable against annual tax liability.

Insurance: The 2% rate on insurance/reinsurance payments affects the full insurance value chain. Companies should adjust cash flow projections to account for the withholding timing difference.

Financial services: Credit card payment withholding creates a new compliance layer for card-processing entities and merchants.

Leasing: Equipment and vehicle leasing companies must implement the 2% withholding on all lease payments — affecting both operational and capital leases.

What to Watch

• March 31 deadline — end of grace period for system updates
• SRI enforcement actions — whether the agency applies penalties to late adopters
• Taxpayer disputes — potential challenges to the rate structure changes
• Revenue impact — whether the new rates generate the projected increase in fiscal revenue

Sources: LLB Solutions, Metro Ecuador, Teleamazonas