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Uruguay business and legal glossary: Spanish terms explained in English

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Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Uruguayan forms, laws and agency websites use Spanish terms and acronyms that English language guides often mistranslate. This glossary gives each term a plain English meaning and the law, decree or resolution that defines it, so you can check the source. Values quoted are those in force on 27 October 2026.

Key facts

SAS shareholder liability	Limited to contributions, including for labour and tax debts of the company Ley Nº 19.820 art. 8, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Beneficial owner threshold	15 % of capital or votesLey Nº 19.484 art. 22, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Unidad Indexada (UI), 27 October 2026	6.6792 UYULey Nº 17.761, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Base de Prestaciones y Contribuciones (BPC), 2026	6864 UYUDecreto Nº 11/026 art. 1, as of 2026-01-01 · in force

The rule

1. A sociedad por acciones simplificada (SAS) is a commercial company whose capital is represented by shares; shareholders are not liable beyond their contributions, including for labour and tax obligations of the company, unless its legal personality is disregarded.Ley Nº 19.820, Art. 8, 2019-09-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Business income (rentas empresariales) taxed by IRAE includes, whatever the factors used, income of sociedades anónimas, other commercial companies, SAS, agrarian companies, permanent establishments of non resident entities, certain state enterprises, funds and trusts.Texto Ordenado 2023 (approved by Decreto Nº 101/024), Title 4 (IRAE), Art. 12 A, 2024-04-04 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. The Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC) must be joined before taxed activity starts; companies register "en formación" within 30 days of their incorporation act or, for an SAS, of the approval of its bylaws.Decreto Nº 597/988, Art. 9 and 13, 1988-09-21 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. The DGI's yearly due date tables separate CEDE taxpayers (including those managed by the Large Taxpayers Division) from NO CEDE taxpayers, each with its own monthly date for filing and payment.Resolución DGI Nº 2284/025, Ordinals 2 and 3, 2025-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. A beneficiario final is a natural person who directly or indirectly holds at least 15 percent of the capital or votes of an entity, or otherwise exercises final control, directly or through a chain of ownership.Ley Nº 19.484, Art. 22, 2017-01-05 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. The sueldo anual complementario (aguinaldo) is one twelfth of the total remuneration paid in the twelve months before 1 December; the salario vacacional is a sum for the better enjoyment of annual leave of at least 100 percent of the net leave wage.Ley Nº 12.840 art. 2; Ley Nº 16.101 art. 4, Ley 12.840 art. 2; Ley 16.101 art. 4, 1960-12-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. The UI is a unit of account that follows the consumer price index daily; the UR is adjusted by reference to the average wage index and fixed monthly by decree together with the URA used for rents.Ley Nº 17.761 art. 1 and 2; Ley Nº 13.728 art. 38; Decreto Nº 229/026, Ley 17.761 art. 1 and 2; Ley 13.728 art. 38; Decreto 229/026 art. 1 and 2, 2026-09-22 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. The zona de vigilancia aduanera especial is the area within the secondary customs zone, delimited by the Executive near borders, ports and international airports, where the movement of goods is subject to special controls.Código Aduanero (Ley Nº 19.276), Art. 5, 2014-09-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Term	Plain English meaning	Legal basis
Apostilla	Apostille that replaces consular legalisation of foreign public documents	Ley Nº 18.836
Arraigo	Roots based route to permanent residence opened in 2026 for certain refugee applicants	Decreto Nº 239/026 art. 1
Aguinaldo (sueldo anual complementario)	Annual extra month: one twelfth of the year's pay, paid in June and December	Ley Nº 12.840 art. 1 and 2; DL Nº 14.525 art. 1
BCU	Banco Central del Uruguay: central bank, financial supervisor and beneficial owner registry	Ley Nº 16.696 art. 3 and 38; Decreto Nº 166/017 art. 15
Beneficiario final	Beneficial owner: natural person with 15 percent or more of capital or votes, or final control	Ley Nº 19.484 art. 22
Botón de arrepentimiento	Online withdrawal button required from 1 January 2027	Ley Nº 20.531 art. 108
BPC	Base de Prestaciones y Contribuciones, social security unit (UYU 6,864 in 2026)	Ley Nº 17.856; Decreto Nº 11/026
BPS	Banco de Previsión Social, social security agency	Constitución art. 195
CEDE / NO CEDE	DGI taxpayer groups that determine the monthly due date	Res. DGI Nº 2284/025 ordinals 2 and 3
COMAP	Comisión de Aplicación that advises on investment promotion benefits	Ley Nº 16.906 art. 12
DGI	Dirección General Impositiva, tax authority	Decreto Nº 597/988 art. 70
En formación	Status under which an SAS or S.A. registers with the DGI before its registration or approval is final	Decreto Nº 597/988 art. 13
Formulario 1050	Annual return for IRAE, net wealth tax and ICOSA	Res. DGI Nº 1478/007 (DGI guidance)
Impuesto Mínimo Complementario Doméstico	15 percent domestic minimum tax for groups with EUR 750 million revenue	Ley Nº 20.446 art. 665
IRAE	Corporate income tax on business income of companies, SAS and permanent establishments	T.O. 2023 Title 4 art. 12
IRNR	Tax on Uruguayan source income of non residents, including dividends	T.O. 2023 Title 8 art. 19 C (Ley Nº 20.446 art. 657)
Libro de Registro Laboral	Labour record book per establishment, registered within 10 business days	Decreto Nº 278/017 art. 13
Nómina	Monthly payroll declaration to BPS	BPS Res. Nº 37-15/2025
RUT (RUC)	Taxpayer registry and number	Decreto Nº 597/988 art. 9 and 13
Salario vacacional	Vacation bonus of at least 100 percent of the net leave wage	Ley Nº 16.101 art. 4
SAS	Sociedad por acciones simplificada: simplified stock company with limited liability	Ley Nº 19.820 art. 8
UI	Unidad Indexada, daily CPI indexed unit (UYU 6.6792 on 27 Oct 2026)	Ley Nº 17.761
UR / URA	Unidad Reajustable and rent adjustment unit, fixed monthly by decree	Ley Nº 13.728 art. 38; Decreto Nº 229/026
Zona de vigilancia aduanera especial	Area near borders, ports and airports with special customs controls	Código Aduanero art. 5

Glossary (alphabetical)

Step by step

1. When a form or law uses an acronym you do not know, check this table and open the legal basis link.
2. For amounts in UI, UR or BPC, use the units page to convert to pesos and dollars.
3. For agencies, see who regulates what.

Common traps

Decreto Nº 597/988 calls the registry the Registro Único de Contribuyentes (RUC), while its amended art. 13 refers to the Registro Único Tributario (RUT) number assigned to companies; both names appear on forms.
The aguinaldo is not a thirteenth salary fixed in advance; it is one twelfth of what was actually paid in the reference period.
Beneficiario final in Uruguay uses a 15 percent threshold of capital or votes (Ley Nº 19.484 art. 22); check it against any lower or higher threshold your home country uses.

Sources

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