Impuesto a las Ganancias: Income Tax for Residents and Non-Residents
Argentine income tax (Impuesto a las Ganancias — Ley 20.628) applies to residents on worldwide income. 2026 progressive rates for individuals (inflation-adjusted brackets in ARS): 5% (up to ARS 419,645/month), 9%, 12%, 15%, 19%, 23%, 27%, 31%, 35% (above approximately ARS 4.4M/month). Note: brackets are adjusted quarterly for inflation (RIPTE index) — verify current thresholds with AFIP at afip.gob.ar. Tax residency: Argentine tax residency applies if you maintain permanent residence or spend 12+ months in Argentina in any rolling 12-month period. Loss of Argentine tax residency: departure combined with establishing residency abroad ends Argentine worldwide income tax obligations. You must notify AFIP of your change in tax residency status via Form F.2252. Ongoing Argentine-source income: as a non-resident you pay 35% flat withholding (retención) on Argentine-source income — dividends, rent from Argentine property, Argentine-source business income. Note: Argentina does not tax capital gains on Argentine securities for non-residents under most circumstances (though check current legislation as this has changed historically). Final Ganancias return: file for the full year of departure (calendar year January–December); due by June 30 of the following year. AFIP scrutiny: AFIP applies the "principio de realidad económica" — economic substance test — and may challenge tax residency changes made primarily for tax avoidance purposes, particularly for HNWI departures.
Bienes Personales: Wealth Tax on Departure
Bienes Personales (Ley 23.966) is Argentina's annual net wealth tax — one of the few still in force globally for individuals. As a resident: 0.5% to 1.75% on worldwide net assets above ARS 6,000,000 (approximately USD 6,000 at official rate — verify current threshold). Rates (2026): 0.5% on assets up to ARS 10M; 0.75% up to ARS 50M; 1.0% up to ARS 100M; 1.25% up to ARS 200M; 1.50% up to ARS 500M; 1.75% above ARS 500M. On departure — transition year: the year you cease Argentine residency, Bienes Personales applies to your worldwide assets as of December 31 of that year. After departure as a non-resident: Bienes Personales applies only to Argentine-situated assets (real estate, vehicles registered in Argentina, equity in Argentine companies, Argentine bank balances). Non-resident rate: 0.5% flat on Argentine-situated assets above the minimum non-taxable threshold. Substituto regime: if you own an Argentine company, the company must pay Bienes Personales on behalf of non-resident shareholders ("responsable sustituto" regime) at 0.5% on the company's equity attributable to non-resident shareholders. Filing: annual return (Form F. 762/A for residents; companies as substituto file F. 762/B). Due: mid-June of the following year. Key planning point: the date of effective tax residency loss determines whether you pay resident rates (worldwide) or non-resident rates (Argentine assets only) for a given December 31 year-end.
BCRA Exchange Controls and Transferring Pesos Abroad
Argentina's BCRA (Banco Central de la República Argentina) maintains foreign exchange controls known as the "cepo cambiario" — a restriction regime that has been in place (with varying intensity) since 2019. 2026 status: the Milei administration has moved towards FX liberalisation, with the cepo partially lifted for individuals from April 2024 onwards. Current rules (verify with BCRA as they change frequently): Individuals can purchase USD at the official rate for personal savings ("ahorro personal") up to a monthly limit — check BCRA Comunicado A-8102 and subsequent updates for the current limit. Multiple exchange rates historically existed: official (TC Oficial), MEP/Bolsa (legal securities exchange via bonds), CCL (Contado con Liquidación — effective offshore rate). Dollar-denominated accounts: Argentines with dollar-denominated bank accounts (caja de ahorro en dólares) can transfer USD balances internationally with AFIP/BCRA documentation. Peso accounts: transferring Argentine pesos abroad involves converting to USD first — subject to official rate limits. Tax documentation required: any FX transaction above a threshold requires an AFIP CUIT number and documentation of the lawful origin of funds. Property proceeds: if selling Argentine real estate before departure, proceeds may be received in ARS or USD (dollars in escrow — "dólares en escrow" or direct USD transfers are common for real estate). Wise from Argentina: Wise supports ARS to EUR/USD/GBP transfers where legally available; check current Wise Argentina availability as FX regulations affect service access. For large transfers: work with an Argentine foreign exchange broker ("casa de cambio" or "agente de cambio") authorised by the BCRA.
SIPA Pension and ANSES: What Happens on Departure
SIPA (Sistema Integrado Previsional Argentino — Ley 26.425) is Argentina's state pension system. Contributions: employees contribute 11% of gross remuneration (3% jubilación + 3% obras sociales + 3% PAMI + 2% retiro); employer contributes 20.4% total. Unlike some Latin American countries (notably Chile and Ecuador), SIPA does not permit lump-sum withdrawal of accumulated contributions upon permanent departure. Your accumulated SIPA contributions create a right to an Argentine jubilación (state pension) payable at retirement age (currently 65 for men, 60 for women — subject to legislative changes) provided you have 30 years of qualifying contributions (or reduced pension for fewer years under certain conditions). Practical implication for departing expats: if you have worked in Argentina for fewer than 30 years, your pension contributions may not generate a full pension. However, Argentina has bilateral social security agreements (convenios bilaterales de seguridad social) with: Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Greece, Portugal, and others. Totalisation agreements: under these treaties, Argentine SIPA contribution periods can be combined (totalised) with contribution periods in the treaty partner country to meet the 30-year threshold — even if neither country's period alone qualifies. Practical step: consult ANSES (Administración Nacional de la Seguridad Social — anses.gob.ar) regarding your contribution history and applicable social security treaty before departing. ANSES records are accessible via Mi ANSES online portal with your CUIL number.
AFIP Deregistration and Tax Clearance Procedures
AFIP (Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos — afip.gob.ar) is Argentina's federal tax authority. CUIT/CUIL: your Argentine tax identification number (CUIT for businesses; CUIL for individuals) remains active even after departure and is required for any ongoing Argentine tax obligations. Residency change notification: upon establishing non-Argentine tax residency, notify AFIP using Form F.2252 (change of domicilio fiscal). You must update your address to a foreign address. AFIP does not issue a formal "tax clearance certificate" for routine departures — but for high-net-worth individuals (patrimonio neto above certain thresholds) or AFIP-monitored taxpayers, it is advisable to obtain AFIP confirmation of no outstanding obligations before departing. Outstanding obligations: ensure all Ganancias and Bienes Personales returns are filed and balances paid before departure. Penalties for late filing are inflation-adjusted and can be significant. AFIP monitoring of departures: since 2016, AFIP participates in the CRS (Common Reporting Standard) — financial institutions in 100+ countries report Argentine nationals' account information to AFIP. Tax authority can match CRS data against declared income and flag discrepancies years after departure. Argentine DNI and migration: changes to tax residency do not automatically cancel your Argentine DNI (national ID) or Argentine citizenship. For Argentine nationals, you remain subject to Argentine tax rules until AFIP formally recognises your new tax domicile. Retenciones on final paycheck: employers must withhold Ganancias on the final payment — request an F.649 (retention certificate) from your employer for your final year return.