Those who pay contributions in Chile are the minority of citizens. Only residential properties worth more than $47.4 million are subject to it, with 77% of homes in the country exempt from paying contributions according to 2022 data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII). In other words, it is a tax paid by the richest sector of the country.
However, this was not considered by the president of the Constitutional Council, Beatriz Hevia, when she presented the amendment of the Republican Party, to which she belongs, to eliminate the payment of contributions for the main house, as a “benefit for the middle. class.” on September 3.
The amendment was finally approved on the 21st of the same month by 30 votes in favor of the Republicans and Chile Vamos, 17 votes against the ruling party and 3 abstentions, making it part of the text of the new Constitution .
The Republican councilors Figueroa, Ossandón, Solar, López, Ortega, Fincheira and De la Maza, who voted in favor of eliminating the contributions, declared domicile of the properties they own whose assessment will subject them to the payment of contributions.
Now, among the 23% of housing complexes that pay contributions are some properties that were declared, last July, by the same councilors that approved the exemption.
For example, according to her declaration of interests and assets, Beatriz Hevia owns four real estates: three estates in Osorno, whose tax value amounts to $483 million, and an apartment in the same city, worth and $140 million; all registered in co-ownership. Adding the four properties, Hevia’s annual contribution payments will reach $2,866,160 for the current fiscal year, according to records from the SII and General Treasury of the Republic (TGR).
touching He contacted Hevia and the press team of the Republican Party to find out if any of the four properties correspond to the main house of the President of the Council and, therefore, benefit from the tax exemption.
From the communications from the counselor, they say that Hevia does not have a main residence and that the apartment she reported in her declaration of assets is jointly owned with her sisters, so he cannot benefit from the tax exemption. (Check HERE Hevia’s statement to InfoProbidad).
From the communications from the advisor, they stated that Hevia does not have a primary residence (…) so it does not benefit from the tax exemption.
Among the proponents of the change – all from the Republican Party – they also registered declared assets subject to the payment of contributions. Among them, Sebastián Figueroa Melo and Jorge Ossandón Spoerer, reported the real estate properties registered as their homes that must pay contributions and that, if they are their main residences if the new Constitution will be approved, they will be exempt from taxes.
In detail, the declaration of assets of Sebastián Figueroa reports an apartment in Ñuñoa worth $64 million, with contributions to be paid at $153 thousand pesos per year. Likewise, there is a property in Paine, registered as his address, whose data is reserved, and reports a tax assessment of $58 million, so that it is subject to the payment of contributions.
Note that in his declaration as a candidate for the Constitutional Council, Figueroa admitted to receiving a gross monthly income of $6 million pesos per month.
For his part, the Republican Jorge Ossandón declared a property in Colina, registering that it is his address, owning 50% and reserving data such as paper and address, but left to the public his estimate- tax lien of $285 million, that is, a property subject to repayment. of contributions. Your spouse appears on the same declaration of interests and assets as the owner of the other 50% of that property.
Jorge Ossandón declared a property in Colina, owning 50% and reserving data such as paper and address, but leaving public its tax valuation of $285 million, that is, a property subject to payment of taxes.
Another proponent of the Republican change is Ninoska Payauna (REP), owner of a property in Iquique, worth $34 million, so that he will not be paid.
Finally, Claudia Mac-Lean, the fourth councilor of the Republicans who proposed the amendment to the exemption of taxes on the first house, did not register the properties declared as properties.
Another councilor who approved the amendment to exempt the payment of contributions for the first home is Germán Becker (RN), representative of Araucanía. He recently denied the alleged pressure from Republican leader José Antonio Kast to approve the exemption amendment.
According to his declaration of assets, Becker registered two properties, one in Viña del Mar, worth $169 million, for which he pays an annual contribution of $1.3 million, and the other in Padre Las Casas, which reports to tax estimate of $162 million with compensation. which is $4.4 million per year. One thing that is surprising about this last property in Araucanía is that according to Treasury records, Becker owes installments for April and June of this year for $2,226,355.
Five other Republicans declared domicile of assets subject to contributions
In addition to the amendment’s proponents, touching reviewed the June 2023 asset declaration of other Republican councilors who voted in favor of the exemption to pay taxes on the main home on September 21. Of the 22 councilors, seven of them – counting the promoters Figueroa and Ossandón – declared their residence in a property they own that, due to its tax valuation of more than $47 million, will be subject to the payment of contributions.
In his declaration of assets, the Republican councilor for Antofagasta, Carlos Solar, registered at his address a property whose tax value reaches $294 million. However, Solar reserves paper and address data, so it is not possible to consult the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury for the annual cost of contributions.
In addition, Solar declared another property in Providencia, registered as co-ownership, with a value of $203 million and whose contribution reaches $149 million annually.
As in the case of Solar and De la Maza, López Porfiri reserved the paper and address information of his home, making it impossible to confirm the bills and the annual payment of contributions.
The case was repeated with the Republican councilor of Los Ríos, Jorge de la Maza Schleyer, who reported four properties in his declaration of assets. One of them registered it as his address, which is located in Valdivia and has a value of $70 million. However, it reserves the information that will allow to determine the annual cost and payment of contributions where the property is affected.
In the Valparaíso region, Republican Party member María de los Ángeles López Porfiri declared two properties and one as a home. This one, located in the commune of Colina, in the Metropolitan region, has a value of $261 million and, although it is registered as “full ownership”, the report states that it is the owner of 50% of it.
As in the case of Solar and De la Maza, López Porfiri reserved the paper and address data, making it impossible to confirm the fees and the annual payment of contributions.
The list continues with Ricardo Ortega Perrier, who registered his address in Zapallar as the representative of the Maule region. In his statement, Ortega registered a property worth $115 million with data reserved under his absolute ownership.
A fifth case was reported by the representative of Araucanía, Mariela Fincheira Massardo. In his declaration of probity, the Republican registered, with confidential data, a property of Padre Las Casas as his address, whose valuation of $71 million will subject it to the collection of contributions.
