A new initiative proposes that penalties for late filing of sworn statements will increase from symbolic amounts to figures considered “confiscatory” by tax experts and accountants. If the text is approved as drafted, an individual who is just one day late would face a fine rising from 200 to 220,000 pesos, while for legal entities—including SMEs—the jump would be from 400 to 440,000 pesos. In this regard, they warned that an SME could fall behind for minor administrative reasons—lack of staff, operational errors, or system issues—and be exposed to a penalty disproportionately large for its economic scale. During the debate in the Chamber of Deputies, sectors of Peronism and the opposition dialogue bloc had already raised the need for fines to be graduated according to the type of taxpayer, differentiating between individuals, SMEs, and large corporations. While in the labor reform, a reduction in the Income Tax for corporations is being promoted—a measure that would benefit a limited number of large companies—the tightening of fines would directly impact the weakest link in the productive chain, which concentrates the majority of formal employment. The discussion on fines is not new. However, these warnings were not incorporated into the approved text, which now forces the ruling party to promise a future correction that generates skepticism among business owners and accountants. With the “Tax Innocence” bill heading to the Senate and the 2026 Budget on the immediate agenda, the credibility of the official commitment to review fines will be key to preventing a law intended to provide “legal security” from becoming a new source of uncertainty for Argentine SMEs. The senator committed to promoting a “short law” during ordinary sessions to introduce a proportional and reasonable penalty system. Bullrich explained that the political priority is to enact the “Tax Innocence” law before the end of the year, after which a modification considering the situation of small taxpayers will be evaluated. The official in charge of negotiations in the Upper Chamber, Patricia Bullrich, admitted that the government is willing to review the penalty scheme, but only after the project is enacted into law. The increase has alarmed the productive sector and has led to formal requests to the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, who is credited with the political decision to include this update in the project. Experts pointed out that these are automatic penalties for merely formal breaches, without tax evasion or concrete fiscal damage. From the UCR, it was questioned that there is no clear criterion for updating or differentiation by contributory capacity, which could lead to excessive penalties for formal errors. The background of the debate exposes a tension within the government's own economic framework. The criticism was taken up in the Senate, where warnings were raised about the regressive nature of the proposed scheme, which applies the same penalty to very different economic realities. The paradox pointed out by tax experts is that the same project with which the government seeks to encourage the disclosure of undeclared savings—the so-called “mattress dollars”—introduces an unprecedented tightening of the penalty regime. However, several allied senators expressed reservations. For the SME sector, this implies an additional blow in a context of strong monetary restriction, falling credit, and lower activity, prior to the legislative elections. The ruling party recognizes the problem but postpones the correction. Buenos Aires, December 22, 2025—Total News Agency—TNA. The “Tax Innocence” bill approved with half sanction in the Chamber of Deputies opened an unexpected front of conflict between the Government and small and medium-sized enterprises, after it was reported that automatic fines for formal breaches before the ARCA could increase by more than 110,000%. Requests for updates with proportionality criteria had been made since before the project's treatment in Deputies by legislators, professional colleges, and tax experts.
