Panadería Barrio Luján Temporarily Closes Following Tax Compliance Issues
Closure mandated by the Ministry of Finance due to late VAT declarations and tax obligations.
Panadería & Repostería Barrio Luján has announced on its social media channels that the Ministry of Finance has ordered a temporary shutdown of its operations starting March 27. In a message posted on Facebook, the bakery stated, "Unfortunately today (yesterday) the Ministry of Finance issued a closure of all our branches as an administrative act due to the late filing of VAT declarations for October, November, and December of 2021, forcing us to close for five calendar days."
The bakery, which has been in operation for 33 years, operates five branches.
Mario Ramos, the Director of Taxation, explained that 12 business closures were executed in the regions of San José, Cartago, Alajuela, and Guanacaste due to tax compliance failures.
These businesses belong to sectors including retail, hospitality, gastronomy, industry, and services.
According to the list published by the Ministry of Finance, in addition to the four locations of the bakery, other businesses such as Distribuidora Lefruver S. A., Servicios de Construcción de Caminos, Súper Selecto, Pinturas Radiante, Licoreras Herrera, and Valdipan, along with a beauty salon and an unregistered veterinary clinic, were also closed.
"The reasons for closing these businesses include non-payment of taxes, recurrence in non-issuance of electronic receipts, and omission in tax declarations," stated Ramos.
He confirmed that the closure will remain in effect for five calendar days from this Friday and urged taxpayers to fulfill their tax obligations to avoid penalties.
As for Panadería Barrio Luján, the business attributed its tax debts to the pandemic.
However, Ramos noted that Law No. 10165, concerning non-compliance with payment requirements, which came into force on August 19, 2024, offered businesses the opportunity to regularize their situation and avoid penalties, but the establishment did not pursue this procedure.
"They were given an opportunity through that law to rectify their business closure, and they did not take action," he concluded.
The bakery is awaiting a response to inquiries regarding the measure from La Nación.
Operations at the bakery's locations are expected to resume on April 1 at noon.
In their Facebook message, the company expressed, "We apologize to all our customers for the inconveniences this may cause.
We have worked hard to improve in many aspects, but unfortunately, this is beyond our control.
To all our loyal customers, we will see you on Tuesday at noon." The brand has branches located in Barrio Luján, Desamparados, Sabanilla, Hatillo Centro, and Alajuelita, all within the San José area.
The bakery, which has been in operation for 33 years, operates five branches.
Mario Ramos, the Director of Taxation, explained that 12 business closures were executed in the regions of San José, Cartago, Alajuela, and Guanacaste due to tax compliance failures.
These businesses belong to sectors including retail, hospitality, gastronomy, industry, and services.
According to the list published by the Ministry of Finance, in addition to the four locations of the bakery, other businesses such as Distribuidora Lefruver S. A., Servicios de Construcción de Caminos, Súper Selecto, Pinturas Radiante, Licoreras Herrera, and Valdipan, along with a beauty salon and an unregistered veterinary clinic, were also closed.
"The reasons for closing these businesses include non-payment of taxes, recurrence in non-issuance of electronic receipts, and omission in tax declarations," stated Ramos.
He confirmed that the closure will remain in effect for five calendar days from this Friday and urged taxpayers to fulfill their tax obligations to avoid penalties.
As for Panadería Barrio Luján, the business attributed its tax debts to the pandemic.
However, Ramos noted that Law No. 10165, concerning non-compliance with payment requirements, which came into force on August 19, 2024, offered businesses the opportunity to regularize their situation and avoid penalties, but the establishment did not pursue this procedure.
"They were given an opportunity through that law to rectify their business closure, and they did not take action," he concluded.
The bakery is awaiting a response to inquiries regarding the measure from La Nación.
Operations at the bakery's locations are expected to resume on April 1 at noon.
In their Facebook message, the company expressed, "We apologize to all our customers for the inconveniences this may cause.
We have worked hard to improve in many aspects, but unfortunately, this is beyond our control.
To all our loyal customers, we will see you on Tuesday at noon." The brand has branches located in Barrio Luján, Desamparados, Sabanilla, Hatillo Centro, and Alajuelita, all within the San José area.
