Panama’s tax authority is urging all registered taxpayers to update their information in a national database before a year-end deadline. The General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) confirmed the mandatory update for the Taxpayer Single Registry (RUC) must be completed online by December 31, 2025. Failure to comply will result in financial penalties for both individuals and corporations.
Official figures show 325,627 taxpayers had already updated their records by early December. That number represents roughly 35 percent of all entities registered in the system. Thousands of individuals and legal entities still need to complete the process through the government’s e-Tax 2.0 online platform.
Deadline and Penalties for Non-Compliance
The DGI extended the original deadline to offer taxpayers more time for an orderly transition. This final extension was formalized in the Official Gazette on August 21, 2025. Officials stress the update is crucial for maintaining accurate and current tax information.
Ignoring the requirement carries a direct cost. Individuals face fines of up to $100. Penalties for legal entities or corporations can reach $500. The DGI’s primary goal is data integrity, but enforcement actions are prepared for those who miss the cutoff.
“The update of the RUC is necessary to guarantee the validity and truthfulness of tax data, in addition to avoiding sanctions,” [Translated from Spanish] the DGI stated in its public reminder. The agency emphasized the online process is designed to be quick and straightforward.
Special in-person assistance is available for the final days. On December 30, DGI staff operated help desks at Albrook Mall, Los Andes Mall, and Westland Mall. The agency’s main offices will close at noon on the December 31 deadline day for the New Year’s holiday.
Background on Registry Cleanup Efforts
This push for updated information follows a significant enforcement action earlier this year. The DGI suspended the RUC of 30,500 companies last September due to various inconsistencies. Nearly 9,000 of those legal entities were not properly identified in the Public Registry. Another 21,601 registrations showed duplicate numbers or contained contradictory information.
That suspension, enacted by resolution on September 1, 2025, immediately blocked affected companies from all e-Tax 2.0 functions. They could not issue electronic invoices, file tax returns, make payments, or submit administrative requests. The current update campaign is partly aimed at preventing similar widespread disruptions by ensuring data is correct from the start.
Taxpayers can check their RUC status directly on the e-Tax 2.0 platform. The DGI has also published step-by-step tutorials on its YouTube channel for both individuals and companies. A dedicated email, dgiactualizacion@mef.gob.pa, and a phone line (507-7011) were set up temporarily to handle update-related questions.
Completing this update is more than just avoiding a fine. A valid and active RUC is essential for conducting virtually any formal business or financial activity in Panama. The government’s broader digital modernization of tax administration depends on reliable core data. Officials hope the combination of a final deadline, clear penalties, and last-minute support will drive full compliance as the calendar turns to a new year.