Argentina’s national government has launched a new website designed to increase transparency around municipal taxes and fees, allowing citizens to report what they believe are excessive or irregular local charges. The move comes as the government seeks to curb what it views as burdensome taxes imposed by municipalities across the country.
The portal – dubbed “Enterate de lo que pagás en tasas” (Find Out What You Pay in Fees) – features an interactive map with information from 188 municipalities across 23 provinces, as of March 31, 2025. The information was compiled from municipal fiscal and tariff ordinances and official websites. The website is publicly accessible without requiring registration.
Chief of Cabinet Manuel Adorni announced the website’s launch on social media, opening a new front in a dispute with local leaders, particularly those in the opposition. The government hopes the increased transparency will pressure municipalities to reduce or eliminate certain fees.
Quilmes Mayor Mayra Mendoza, currently on leave, criticized the initiative, calling it “audacious.” The provincial deputy accused the national government of owing the Province of Buenos Aires 14.7 trillion pesos. “You are abandoning all obligations to the people in terms of security, public works, etc., and municipal governments are responding to the needs of the people in the face of this absence and abandonment by the nation,” she posted.
Morón Mayor Lucas Ghi, in an interview, stated that municipalities collect fees – not taxes – and that these fees are tied to specific services. “We don’t impose them. We generate a fee that comes with a service,” he explained. He added that the national government accounts for six to seven out of every ten pesos paid by citizens in taxes, with provinces receiving two to three pesos and municipalities receiving only one.
Infobae downloaded and analyzed the data published on the official site. The data covers 188 municipalities and is categorized into five types of fees: road tax, financial entity tax, primary activities tax, industry tax, and hypermarket tax.
The road tax, initially a small percentage per liter or cubic meter of fuel, has expanded to include a percentage charged to motorists filling up at gas stations within the municipality. Approximately 30 municipalities in Buenos Aires Province, along with 16 municipalities in Jujuy, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Santa Fe, currently impose this tax.
Eight municipalities in Neuquén and one in Río Negro have the highest road tax rate, at 4.5%. These include Neuquén capital, Plottier, San Martín de los Andes, Senillosa, Plaza Huincul, Junín de los Andes, Centenario, and Cutral Có, as well as Cipolletti.
The lowest rates are found in Marcos Paz, Buenos Aires Province (0.8% for diesel and gasoline, 0.4% for CNG), and Tigre and Escobar, both at 0.9%.
But, not all municipalities charge a road tax. Tres de Febrero is one example. Its mayor, Diego Valenzuela, advocated for lowering local taxes to avoid “double taxation” and encourage investment in the district.
Regarding taxes on primary activities – including livestock, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining – Villa Mercedes, in Puntana, has the highest percentage at 2.5% of Gross Income, followed by Rawson (Chubut) and Chajarí (Entre Ríos) at 2%.
Villa Mercedes officials contacted Infobae after publication of this story to clarify that “the current rate is 2.5‰ (2 per thousand), according to the municipal tariff ordinance.” They noted that this difference could lead to misinterpretations.
Other municipalities establish percentage ranges for the primary activities tax, with maximums, and minimums. Concordia (1.3% to 2.7%) and Victoria (1.3% to 1.8%) are two examples in Entre Ríos.
However, Goya, in Corrientes, does not charge any percentage on this tax.
The tax on financial entities is highest in Lanús, at 6%, followed by Pilar and Villa Mercedes, both at 4.5%.
Quilmes charges 3.74% and Hurlingham 3.50%. Some municipalities only impose fixed amounts, such as Esquel (Chubut) at $74 million and Hurlingham (Buenos Aires Province) at $41.5 million.
The highest industry tax is in Villa Mercedes, Puntana, at 2.5% of Gross Income, followed by Rawson and Chajarí at 2%. Concordia (1.3% to 2.7%) and Victoria (1.3% to 1.8%) also have percentage ranges. Goya, in Corrientes, does not charge a percentage on this tax.
The Association of United Supermarkets (ASU) this week endorsed the government’s initiative to publish a portal that makes municipal taxes transparent and “denounces excesses.” The large chains argued that the proposed national tax reform must be mirrored in the moderation or elimination of subnational taxes – namely provincial (especially Gross Income) and municipal taxes.
