Costa Rica: Tax Compliance Issues Lead to Temporary Closure of Estadio José Rafael 'Fello' Meza
The Ministry of Finance enforces a five-day closure due to tax irregularities at Cartaginés stadium.
The Estadio José Rafael 'Fello' Meza, home to the Club Sport Cartaginés in Costa Rica, has been temporarily closed by the country's Ministry of Finance due to tax compliance irregularities.
The closure took effect on a Friday morning when officials arrived at the stadium at approximately 9 a.m., sealing the premises to enforce a five-day stoppage.
This suspension is set to be lifted by next Wednesday, as confirmed by a Ministry spokesperson.
The sanction has presented logistical challenges for Cartaginés, whose upcoming home fixture against Santa Ana, scheduled for Tuesday as part of League matchday 6, now requires relocation or potential rescheduling due to the enforced closure.
The club must identify an alternate venue or appeal for suspension of the match under circumstances deemed as force majeure.
Additionally, Cartaginés is slated to play an away match against Puntarenas on the following Saturday, which remains unaffected by the stadium's closure.
This action marks the second such incident faced by Cartaginés, with a similar closure occurring in April of the previous year.
At that time, the club attributed the situation to outstanding debts from former administrations.
Present club owner and president, Leonardo Vargas, who took over the club's leadership in May 2019, has been addressing pre-existing debts with various entities including the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS), and several former employees and suppliers.
The club issued a statement acknowledging compliance with the Ministry's closure order while emphasizing its efforts to stay current with financial obligations under the present administration.
The press release specified that despite having settled the relevant tax payments, the administrative penalty still holds.
Cartaginés provided proof of payment along with the Ministry of Finance's public consultation receipt to further assert their current compliance status.
Efforts to obtain further comments from Club Sport Cartaginés President Leonardo Vargas were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or messages.
Despite the present administrative roadblocks, the club has expressed determination to resolve these issues and remain compliant moving forward.
The closure took effect on a Friday morning when officials arrived at the stadium at approximately 9 a.m., sealing the premises to enforce a five-day stoppage.
This suspension is set to be lifted by next Wednesday, as confirmed by a Ministry spokesperson.
The sanction has presented logistical challenges for Cartaginés, whose upcoming home fixture against Santa Ana, scheduled for Tuesday as part of League matchday 6, now requires relocation or potential rescheduling due to the enforced closure.
The club must identify an alternate venue or appeal for suspension of the match under circumstances deemed as force majeure.
Additionally, Cartaginés is slated to play an away match against Puntarenas on the following Saturday, which remains unaffected by the stadium's closure.
This action marks the second such incident faced by Cartaginés, with a similar closure occurring in April of the previous year.
At that time, the club attributed the situation to outstanding debts from former administrations.
Present club owner and president, Leonardo Vargas, who took over the club's leadership in May 2019, has been addressing pre-existing debts with various entities including the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS), and several former employees and suppliers.
The club issued a statement acknowledging compliance with the Ministry's closure order while emphasizing its efforts to stay current with financial obligations under the present administration.
The press release specified that despite having settled the relevant tax payments, the administrative penalty still holds.
Cartaginés provided proof of payment along with the Ministry of Finance's public consultation receipt to further assert their current compliance status.
Efforts to obtain further comments from Club Sport Cartaginés President Leonardo Vargas were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or messages.
Despite the present administrative roadblocks, the club has expressed determination to resolve these issues and remain compliant moving forward.
