Countries › Panama › Guide › 4. Entities and setup › Annual compliance for Panamanian companies and foundations: tasa única dates, accounting records to the resident agent by 30 April, suspension, B/.1,000 reactivation and the 2026 dissolution of suspended entities

Annual compliance for Panamanian companies and foundations: tasa única dates, accounting records to the resident agent by 30 April, suspension, B/.1,000 reactivation and the 2026 dissolution of suspended entities

Last verified: 2026-10-29 · Status: Changing

Keeping a Panamanian entity alive takes four recurring duties: paying the tasa única (B/.300 for companies, B/.400 for foundations) by 15 July or 15 January, keeping books, sending accounting records or copies to the resident agent by 30 April if the entity operates outside Panama or only holds assets, and keeping beneficial ownership data current. Three years of unpaid tasa única, 90 days without a resident agent or breach of the records and beneficial ownership laws lead to suspension of corporate rights, a one year window to reactivate with a B/.1,000 fine, and then dissolution. Since 27 February 2026 the government has been dissolving about 290,000 suspended entities.

Panama's official currency, the balboa (B/.), is at par with the US dollar, which circulates as paper money; the Superintendencia de Bancos states that the balboa's value is on a par with the US dollar (checked 29 October 2026). USD figures therefore equal the balboa figures.

Key facts

Tasa única anual, companies	300 PABCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A (Ley 52 de 2016 art. 9), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Tasa única anual, private interest foundations after the first year	400 PABCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A (Ley 52 de 2016 art. 9), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Late surcharge per year or fraction	50 PABCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A (Ley 52 de 2016 art. 9), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Tasa única due dates	15 July (registered January to June); 15 January (registered July to December) dateCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A (Ley 52 de 2016 art. 9), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Consecutive unpaid years that trigger suspension	3 yearsCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A paragraph 2 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 44), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Window to reactivate a suspended entity	1 yearsCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A paragraph 4 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 44), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Reactivation fine	1000 PABCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A paragraph 5 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 44), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Minimum retention of accounting records	5 yearsLey 52 de 2016 art. 1 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 17), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Annual delivery of records or copies to the resident agent	30 April dateLey 52 de 2016 art. 1 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 17), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Maximum fine on an entity for breaching the records law	1000000 PABLey 52 de 2016 art. 7 (Ley 254 de 2021 art. 23), as of 2026-10-29 · in force
Entities in the first stage of the 2026 dissolution of suspended entities	290534 entitiesCódigo Fiscal art. 318-A; MEF notice of 4 February 2026, as of 2026-10-29 · in force

The rule

1. The tasa única anual is B/.300 for sociedades anónimas, sociedades de responsabilidad limitada and any other legal entity, national or foreign, and B/.350 at registration then B/.400 a year for private interest foundations; non profit organizations, cooperatives and civil companies do not pay it. From the second year it is due by 15 July for entities registered from January to June and by 15 January for those registered from July to December, through the legal representative or resident agent, with a sworn statement of the registration date. Late payment carries a single B/.50 surcharge per year or fraction, and the fee may be prepaid for future periods. While it is unpaid the Registro Público registers no corporate act and issues no certificates, except certificates requested by an authority or by third parties to enforce their rights, marked as delinquent; resignations of officers or of the resident agent are still registered.
Cost to do it: B/.300 (US$300) a year per company, B/.400 (US$400) per foundation; B/.50 (US$50) per late year or fraction.
Example: A company registered in October 2022 that never paid the January 2025 and January 2026 fees owes B/.600 plus B/.100 of surcharges, B/.700 in total, before it can register any corporate act. / US$700.Código Fiscal art. 318-A first paragraphs and paragraph 1 as worded by Ley 52 de 2016 art. 9, art. 318-A, 2016-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-29

2. The Registro Público suspends the corporate rights of a legal entity that (1) remains without a resident agent for more than 90 calendar days after the previous agent's resignation, removal or end of existence; (2) is delinquent on the tasa única for three consecutive years, on the order of the Dirección General de Ingresos, which sends six monthly reports; or (3) breaches other laws that impose suspension as a sanction. Failing to comply during the three months after the deadline leads the competent authority to order administrative forced liquidation.Código Fiscal art. 318-A paragraph 2 as worded by Ley 254 de 2021 art. 44, art. 318-A paragraph 2, 2021-11-11 official text · verified 2026-10-29

3. While suspended, the entity cannot start legal proceedings, do business or dispose of its assets, make claims or exercise rights, or take any binding corporate action, although it may apply for reactivation, defend proceedings brought against it and continue proceedings begun before the suspension (paragraph 3). It has one year from registration of the suspension to be reactivated, through its resident agent, at the request of any governing body, shareholder, partner or interested third party (paragraph 4), who must pay a reactivation fine of B/.1,000 to the authority that ordered the suspension and cure its causes (paragraph 5). If the year passes without reactivation, the Registro Público notifies that authority, which orders dissolution (paragraph 6).
Cost to do it: Reactivation fine B/.1,000 (US$1,000) plus all unpaid tasas and surcharges.
Example: A company suspended for three unpaid years (B/.900 of fees plus B/.150 of surcharges) pays at least B/.2,050 to be reactivated within the year. / At least US$2,050.Código Fiscal art. 318-A paragraphs 3 to 6; paragraphs 4 to 6 as worded by Ley 254 de 2021 art. 44, art. 318-A paragraphs 3 to 6, 2021-11-11 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Ley 254 de 2021 cut the reactivation window from the two years set by Ley 52 de 2016 to one year, required reactivation to go through the resident agent and replaced automatic cancellation with dissolution ordered by the authority that ordered the suspension.

4. By Resolución 201-0977 of 29 January 2026, published in Gaceta Oficial 30458-B on 4 February 2026, the Dirección General de Ingresos published the list of legal entities three consecutive years delinquent on the tasa única and ordered the Registro Público to note their suspension; the resolution states that no administrative appeal lies against it. The Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas announced on 4 February 2026 that the dissolution of suspended entities would start on 27 February 2026, with a first stage covering 290,534 entities that received dissolution annotations under 2016 DGI resolutions, starting with 180,883 companies, and invited owners to check their entity's status at the Registro Público.DGI Resolución 201-0977 of 29 January 2026; Código Fiscal art. 318-A paragraphs 2 to 6, Resolución 201-0977, first and second resolutions, 2026-01-29 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: From 27 February 2026 the government began dissolving suspended legal entities in stages, the first covering 290,534 entities with 2016 dissolution annotations (MEF notice of 4 February 2026).

5. Legal entities that do not carry on operations completed, consumed or taking effect in Panama, and those that only hold assets, in or outside Panama, must keep accounting records and supporting documents for at least five years from the end of the calendar year of the transactions. They may be kept at the resident agent's office or anywhere else, but every 30 April the entity must give its resident agent the records or a copy for the fiscal year ended the previous 31 December, and inform the agent in writing who holds the originals and where. A pure asset holder provides information showing the value of its assets, the income they produce and related liabilities; an entity carrying on commercial acts abroad provides a journal and a ledger. Listed companies, entities owned by a State or multilateral body and shipowners or charterers of ships registered exclusively for international service are exempt from the annual delivery but must hand over records within 20 business days if asked. The resident agent must keep copies of share certificates and the shareholder register of the sociedades anónimas it serves.Ley 52 de 2016 art. 1 as worded by Ley 254 de 2021 art. 17, Ley 52 de 2016 art. 1, 2021-11-11 official text · verified 2026-10-29 · changed: Ley 254 de 2021 added the annual 30 April delivery of records or copies to the resident agent and extended the duty to pure asset holding entities.

6. Each year by 15 July the resident agent files with the Dirección General de Ingresos a sworn declaration listing the entities it serves, split between those whose records are kept at its office, those whose records are kept elsewhere but for which it holds copies and custodian details, and those for which it lacks that information; the authority may sanction the entities in the third group (Ley 52 art. 3). Entities that breach the law are fined from B/.5,000 to B/.1,000,000 and their corporate rights may be suspended under art. 318-A, and agents that breach it are fined from B/.5,000 to B/.100,000 (Ley 52 art. 7).
Cost to do it: Fines of B/.5,000 to B/.1,000,000 (US$5,000 to US$1,000,000) for the entity and B/.5,000 to B/.100,000 (US$5,000 to US$100,000) for the agent.Ley 52 de 2016 art. 3 and art. 7 as worded by Ley 254 de 2021 art. 19 and art. 23, Ley 52 de 2016 art. 3 and art. 7, 2021-11-11 official text · verified 2026-10-29

7. Every merchant must keep a journal and a ledger, and commercial companies must also keep a minute book and a share or shareholder register or, as applicable, a register of quotas or contributions.Código de Comercio art. 73 as worded by Ley 52 de 2016 art. 8, art. 73, 2016-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-29

Date	Duty	Who	Source
15 January	Tasa única for entities registered July to December	Legal representative or resident agent	Código Fiscal art. 318-A
30 April	Accounting records or copies for the prior calendar year to the resident agent (entities without Panamanian operations or pure holders)	Entity	Ley 52 art. 1
15 July	Tasa única for entities registered January to June	Legal representative or resident agent	Código Fiscal art. 318-A
15 July	Sworn declaration listing served entities and where records are kept	Resident agent	Ley 52 art. 3
Within 15 business days of a change	Beneficial owner change notice to the agent	Entity	Ley 129 art. 12
Ongoing	Journal, ledger, minute book, share or quota register	Entity	Código de Comercio art. 73

Annual compliance calendar for a Panamanian entity. Código Fiscal art. 318-A and Ley 52 de 2016 as amended by Ley 254 de 2021.

Worked example

A Panamanian S.A. registered in May 2021 holds a Peruvian subsidiary and has no operations in Panama. Each year it pays B/.300 (US$300) of tasa única by 15 July (Código Fiscal art. 318-A) and by 30 April sends its resident agent a statement of its assets (the Peruvian shares), the dividends received and related liabilities for the previous calendar year (Ley 52 art. 1).
In 2023, 2024 and 2025 the owners forget to pay. After three consecutive unpaid years the DGI orders suspension, and the company appears in a published list such as Resolución 201-0977 of 2026. To reactivate within one year it must, through its resident agent, pay B/.900 of fees, B/.150 of surcharges and the B/.1,000 reactivation fine, B/.2,050 (US$2,050) in total, and cure any other cause; otherwise the DGI orders dissolution (art. 318-A paragraphs 4 to 6).

Step by step

1. Record the registration month of each entity to know whether its tasa única falls on 15 July or 15 January, and consider prepaying several years (Código Fiscal art. 318-A).
2. Close the books at 31 December and send the records or copies to the resident agent before 30 April (Ley 52 art. 1).
3. Keep the journal, ledger, minute book and share register up to date (Código de Comercio art. 73).
4. Report beneficial owner changes to the agent within 15 business days (Ley 129 art. 12).
5. Check the entity's status at the Registro Público, especially if it has been dormant, and if it is suspended reactivate it through the resident agent within the one year window (art. 318-A paragraph 4; MEF notice of 4 February 2026).

Common traps

Dormant shelf companies. Three unpaid years lead to suspension, and from 27 February 2026 suspended entities are being dissolved in stages (MEF notice of 4 February 2026).
Older guides describe a two year reactivation window; since Ley 254 de 2021 it is one year (art. 318-A paragraph 4).
Assuming a holding company with no Panamanian operations has no bookkeeping duty. It must keep records for five years and send them or copies to the agent every 30 April (Ley 52 art. 1).
Ignoring the agent's 15 July declaration. Entities the agent lists as lacking record information can be sanctioned (Ley 52 art. 3), with fines of B/.5,000 to B/.1,000,000 (art. 7).
Unpaid fees block every registration, including share capital changes, mergers and director changes (art. 318-A paragraph 1).

Sources

← Resident agent and beneficial ownership in Panama: Ley 129 de 2020 registry, 15 business day deadlines, fines up to B/.50,000 per entity and suspension of corporate rightsPanama's dollar economy: the balboa at par, US dollar legal tender since 1904 and no exchange controls →

Get rule changes weekly

Free. One email a week from The LatAm Thread.

One more step after you press the button: we take you to Substack, where your email is already filled in. Confirm there to start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime, we never share your address. By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.