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This Free Trade Zone allows for your company to be established anywhere in the country.

To be granted the status of a Single Enterprise Free Trade Zone, the company must be no more than six months old, and that the investment requirement is made after the Free Trade Zone Status is granted. It is necessary to recall that there are various types of Single Enterprise Free Trade Zones according to the economic activity, thus each type of company must comply with the investment and job requirements within the next three years after being declared as a Free Trade Zone.  

Benefits:

1. A single 15% income tax rate.

2. The declaration granting FTZ status is valid for maximum 30 years, renewable for another equal term.

3. Goods introduced from the rest of the world into a FTZ (i.e. capital goods) do not accrue custom duties or VAT.

4. Goods exported from an FTZ benefit from the Trade Agreements signed by Colombia.(Except Perú)

5. Raw materials, parts and inputs sold from a national customs territory to FTZ users will be VAT exempt.

6. Exports may be made from the FTZ to the rest of the national customs territory.

7. Possibility of partially processing outside the FTZ for a period no longer than six months.

8. Quick and simplified customs procedures.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE ENTERPIRSE FREE TRADE ZONE

To be declared as a Single Enterprise Free Trade Zone companies must comply with the investment and job creation requirements that are the following according to their activity.

SINGLE ENTERPRISE FREE TRADE ZONE FOR GOODS

Designed for companies which produce or transform goods:

• New Investment equivalent to 150.000 Minimum Monthly Legal Wages (USD 38.6 million)

• For every extra 23.000 Minimum Monthly Legal Wages (USD $5.9 millions) the job requirements decreases by 15 jobs but never less than 50.

SINGLE ENTERPRISE FREE TRADE ZONE FOR SERVICES

This Single Enterprise Free Trade Zone is designed for companies which supply any type of service; it is necessary to mention that the higher the investment the job creation requirement decreases  as shown in the table:

 

 

Health Services: A health services company may outsource 50% of the job requirement.  

Exceptionally, these types of Free Trade Zones can be declared as such in various geographical areas.


SINGLE ENTERPRISE FREE TRADE ZONE FOR AGRIBUSSINES

This type of Free Trade Zone is designed so that the production plant which process and produces Biofuels is declared as a Free Trade Zone if it complies with the investment OR job requirement as follows:

• New investment equivalent to US $19.3 million or the creation of 500 outsourced jobs.
• That the final product can be classified in the following subsectors: biofuels,meat and fish, oil and grease products from vegetables and animals,dairy products,legume and prepared or preserved fruits, tea, soup,  vinegar, sauces and yeast and coffee

SINGLE ENTERPRISE FREE TRADE ZONE FOR PORT COMPANIES

Port companies which already have the public license to operate as such may request the Free Trade Zone Status if they comply with the following requirements:

• New investment equivalent to 150.000 Minimum Monthly Legal Wages (USD$ 38.6 millions)

• Creating 20 direct and 50 outsourced jobs

SPECIAL SINGLE ENTERPRISE FREE TRADE ZONE FOR 12 DEPARTMENTS
To incentive company development in the departments of Putumayo, Cauca, Huila, Nariño Caquetá, Boyacá, Cesar, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Arauca, Guainía y Vichada the government established a special free trade zone regime with the following requierements:

• Investment US $ 1.4 million
• Creating 50 new jobs
• The invesment has to be done in the next 2 years following after the status is granted.
• For the departments which border with Venezuela it is necessary to review Decree 2555 of 2010 for the aplicability of the region.
• The Free Trade Zone Status Request must be submitted to the tax authority before December 30 2010.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRANSFER FROM THE NATIONAL TERRITORY TO A FREE TRADE ZONE?

For existing companies within the national territory which would like to transfer to a Single Enterprise Free Trade Zone there is a special regime.

• Net worth above 150.000 M.M.L.W (USD $38.6 million).
• New Investment of at least 692.000 M.M.L.W.  (USD $ 178.19 million)
• Double their net taxable income from the one stated by the 31st of December of the year before of the application