What taxes and stamps are due at the notary on closing day?

Closing day at a Colombian notary involves several distinct charges layered together: the notarial tariff, registro, beneficencia, and, for non-resident sellers specifically, a retención that can reach up to 15 percent of the gross sale price under the pagos-al-exterior regime.

The core charges present at every closing

Every Colombian property closing involves the notarial tariff for drafting and formalizing the escritura, registro to officially inscribe the ownership change, and beneficencia, roughly 0.29 percent of value, funding departmental social institutions. These three together typically make up the bulk of what's described as the 3 to 5 percent buyer closing cost range.

Where retención adds a layer specifically for sellers

Beyond the buyer-facing charges above, a seller closing a sale faces retención en la fuente, withheld directly at the notary as a prepayment toward eventual tax liability. Resident sellers see a smaller retención, generally 1 percent of the price; non-resident sellers fall under the pagos-al-exterior regime, where the buyer, acting as agente retenedor, may withhold up to 15 percent of the gross sale price.

Why retención is a prepayment, not a final tax

This withholding is recoverable, credited against the seller's actual ganancia ocasional liability, 15 percent of the net gain if held two years or more, when the seller files their tax return. A seller who was over-withheld relative to their real tax liability can reclaim the difference, provided they have a RUT to file that claim.

Full picture of a closing-day liquidación

Why IVA generally isn't part of this picture

Used residential property sales in Colombia don't carry IVA; the 19 percent IVA rate applies specifically to brokerage commission, not the underlying property transaction itself, a distinction that surprises some first-time foreign buyers expecting a VAT-style tax on the sale price.

Bringing an accountant into the closing, not just an attorney

Because retención interacts directly with the seller's eventual capital gains filing, a seller closing a sale benefits from having an accountant, not just an attorney, review the retención calculation before the notary applies it, to confirm it's calculated correctly against the actual net gain rather than simply the gross sale price.

Why buyers should also understand the seller-side charges

Even though retención is withheld from the seller's proceeds rather than paid directly by the buyer, a buyer acting as agente retenedor for a non-resident seller bears real responsibility for calculating and remitting it correctly; getting this wrong can create liability for the buyer, not just an inconvenience for the seller.

This is exactly why many buyers in a non-resident-seller transaction lean on the notary's own experience with this calculation rather than attempting it independently, since the notary handles this specific scenario routinely and can flag an unusual case before it becomes a problem.

What a complete closing-day checklist actually looks like

Between the notarial tariff, registro, beneficencia, and any applicable retención, a buyer and seller closing together should expect the notary to present a single combined liquidación covering all of these at once, rather than separate bills arriving on different timelines.

Reviewing that liquidación line by line before signing, rather than treating it as a formality to sign quickly, is the practical moment where a buyer or seller catches a miscalculation before it becomes final.

Why preparation the week before closing pays off

Requesting a draft liquidación several days before the actual signing, rather than seeing the final numbers for the first time at the notary, gives both parties a genuine window to question anything that looks off, a step that's considerably harder to take once everyone is already seated at the table ready to sign.

This same preparation window is also the right time to confirm any negotiated deviation from the standard closing-cost split, so the notary's draft liquidación reflects what was actually agreed rather than the default convention.

Does the buyer or seller pay retención?

It's withheld from the seller's proceeds, calculated and withheld by the buyer acting as agente retenedor for non-resident sellers specifically.

Is retención the same as the final tax owed?

No, it's a recoverable prepayment credited against the actual ganancia ocasional liability calculated at tax filing.

Does IVA apply to the property sale price itself?

No, IVA applies only to brokerage commission on used residential resales, not the property transaction itself.

What happens if too much retención is withheld?

The seller can reclaim the excess when filing their tax return, provided they have a RUT to submit that claim.

Do these charges differ for a rural finca versus an urban house?

The charges themselves apply the same way regardless of property type; what can differ is the avalúo basis used to calculate them.

Should I bring my own accountant to closing, or rely on the notary?

The notary applies the standard calculation, but an independent accountant reviewing it beforehand, especially for retención, protects against an incorrect withholding.

Can retención be negotiated down before closing?

No, retención follows a fixed statutory percentage; what can be reviewed beforehand is whether it's being calculated against the correct base figure for the specific 2026 sale in question, not whether the underlying rate itself is negotiable between the parties.

Talk to a Guatape Properties agent about your specific plans.