Do you have to file a Colombian income tax return? Calculate your estimated tax

2 min read

  • Taxes
  • Income tax return
  • Natural persons
  • DIAN

Who is required to file?

In Colombia, any one of these five criteria requires you to file an income tax return as an individual for the 2025 tax year: gross income of at least 1,400 UVT (roughly 69.7 million pesos), total assets above 4,500 UVT, credit card spending exceeding 1,400 UVT, total purchases above 1,400 UVT, or bank deposits exceeding that same threshold. Meeting just one of them is enough to be required to file.

The most common mistake: confusing the threshold with a tax bill

Many salaried workers believe that filing means paying extra tax. That is not always the case. If your income is just above the threshold but you have solid deductions (the 25% labor exemption, voluntary pension contributions, or a housing loan), your estimated tax can be zero. The problem is not filing when required: the late-filing penalty is 5% of the amount owed per month.

The deductions that matter most

The most impactful deduction is the 25% labor income exemption on your employment income, capped at 790 UVT per year. On top of that you can add voluntary contributions to an AFP or AFC savings account (up to 30% of income, no more than 3,800 UVT), housing loan interest (up to 1,200 UVT), and a deduction for each dependent (10 UVT per month per person, up to four). All of these combined cannot exceed 40% of your net income or 1,340 UVT.

The tax brackets: Art. 241 ET

Once you have your taxable income (gross income minus deductions and exemptions), you apply the progressive table from Article 241 of the Tax Code. The first 1,090 UVT of taxable income are tax-free. Between 1,090 and 1,700 UVT the rate is 19%. The 1,700 to 4,100 UVT range is taxed at 28%. Above that the rates climb to 33%, 35%, 37%, and at the very top, 39%. Most Colombian salaried workers who do file end up in the 0% or 19% bracket.

How to use the calculator

Enter your annual labor income, any voluntary pension or AFC contributions, housing loan interest paid during the year, and the number of dependents. The calculator tells you whether you crossed the filing threshold, which deductions apply with their real caps, what your estimated taxable income is, and how much tax you would owe. Select the relevant tax year, 2024 or 2025, so the UVT-based limits are correct.

Calculate my income tax return

References

This note is not financial advice.

Do you have to file a Colombian income tax return? Calculate your estimated tax 路 Quantio