Costa Rica has a VAT rate of 13%, which is among the lowest compared to 175 countries evaluated by the OECD, ranking 127th. Only 41 countries have lower rates, while most nations, especially in Europe and Latin America, apply rates higher than 15%, reaching up to 27% in some cases.
Within the OECD, the average rate is 19.3%, and only five member countries have lower rates than Costa Rica. In addition, the country offers reduced rates for certain goods and services, such as 1% for the basic food basket and 2% for private education, benefiting key sectors. In contrast, the United States does not apply VAT, using a regional sales tax system.