How does the bank debit/credit tax work?

Last verified: 26 Oct 2026 · Status: Changing

Short answer. Argentina's bank tax charges 0.6% on every credit into an account at a local bank and 0.6% on every debit out of it, collected automatically by the bank. Cash withdrawals by companies that are not micro or small enterprises pay 1.2%. Most companies credit 33% of the tax against income tax. Micro and small enterprises credit 100%.

As of 26 Oct 2026. Rules in force at that date.

Key rules

The tax. Law 25.413 art. 1 taxes credits and debits in accounts of any kind at entities governed by the Financial Entities Law (inciso a), plus operations and fund movements that replace an account (incisos b and c). The bank collects it; the account holder bears it, on the gross amount (art. 1).

Rates. The general rate is 6 per thousand (0.6%) on credits and 6 per thousand on debits (Decree 380/2001, Annex, art. 7, "Reg."). Money in and out bears about 1.2%. Other rates:

12 per thousand on cash withdrawals from inciso a) accounts, "under any form". Not applicable to individuals or to legal persons that are and prove to be Micro or Small Enterprises under Law 24.467 art. 2 (Law art. 1, second paragraph, added by Law 27.541 art. 45, BO 23 Dec 2019). The company must present its SME certificate to the bank (RG 2111 art. 33).
12 per thousand on inciso b) and c) operations that replace an account (Law art. 1, third paragraph; Reg. art. 7).
Reduced rates (2.5, 0.75, 0.5 and 1 per thousand) for specific subjects and operations (Reg. art. 7). See the parent page.

Main exemptions. In the Law: governments, diplomatic missions, salary and pension credits (and debits up to the same amount), and registered residential lease accounts (Law art. 2(a) to (d)). In the regulation: savings accounts (caja de ahorro), unless used under Reg. art. 3 (Reg. art. 10(u)); transfers to other accounts of the same holder by any means except cheques (Reg. art. 10(b)); bank loan proceeds (art. 10(i)); export proceeds (art. 10(l)). Exemptions in other laws do not apply (Law art. 2).

Income tax credit. Tax at the general rates credits 33% against income tax; tax at a lower rate credits 20% (Reg. art. 13, as replaced by Decree 409/2018). Micro and small enterprises credit 100% of the tax effectively paid, and manufacturing medium enterprises "tramo 1" credit 60% (Law 27.264 art. 6; Decree 409/2018 art. 2). The credit is never refunded or offset against VAT or other taxes (Reg. art. 13; Law 27.264 art. 6).

Expiry. Law arts. 1 to 6 apply until 31 December 2027 (Law 27.702 art. 1, extending Law 27.432 art. 2).

Reform status. The Fiscal Innocence Law (Law 27.799, amended by Law 27.826) does not change this tax. The only change in the sources is a proposal: art. 67 of the 2027 Budget bill would let new national road concessionaires credit 100% of the tax against income tax, VAT and SIPA contributions. It is a bill, not law.

What changes the answer

SME status. A categorised micro or small enterprise credits 100% (Law 27.264 art. 6) and, if it presents its certificate to the bank, pays 0.6% instead of 1.2% on cash withdrawals (Law art. 1; RG 2111 art. 33).
Account type. Savings accounts are exempt (Reg. art. 10(u)), unless used as an organised payment system replacing a current account (RG 2111 Annex X, C.3).
Own account transfers. Moving money between accounts of the same holder is exempt, except by cheque and except where the account belongs to more than one legal person (Reg. art. 10(b)).

Worked examples

A services company that is not an SME receives ARS 1,000,000,000 (US$ 639,427.07) into its current account in a year and pays out the same amount. No exemption, no cash withdrawals, enough income tax to absorb the credit. Pesos are converted at the dólar MEP rate of ARS 1,563.90 per US$ on 23 Oct 2026, dolarapi.com selling rate (see /data/mep/).

Step or item	Time	Cost ARS	Cost USD
Tax on credits, 6 per thousand (Reg. art. 7)	On each credit, collected by the bank	6,000,000	3,836.56
Tax on debits, 6 per thousand	On each debit, collected by the bank	6,000,000	3,836.56
Total tax for the year	12 months	12,000,000	7,673.12
Credit against income tax, 33% (Reg. art. 13)	Income tax advances or annual return	(3,960,000)	(2,532.13)
Net cost, general taxpayer	Year	8,040,000	5,140.99
Net cost if a small enterprise, 100% credit	Year	0	0
Net cost if manufacturing medium tramo 1, 60% credit	Year	4,800,000	3,069.25

Step by step:

Credits and debits: 1,000,000,000 × 0.006 = ARS 6,000,000 each.
Total: ARS 12,000,000, or 1.2% of the money that passed through.
Credit: 12,000,000 × 0.33 = ARS 3,960,000.
Net: 12,000,000 minus 3,960,000 = ARS 8,040,000, about 0.8% of the ARS 1,000,000,000 throughput.
Medium tramo 1: 12,000,000 × 0.60 = 7,200,000 credit; net ARS 4,800,000.

Withdrawing ARS 100,000,000 of that in cash would add ARS 600,000 (US$ 383.66) of tax at 12 per thousand; Reg. art. 13 does not say expressly whether the doubled tax credits at 33%, so treat the extra as not creditable unless your adviser confirms.

The credited amount is not deductible (Reg. art. 13); whether the other 67% is a deductible expense is not addressed in the regulation text we reviewed.

Cost to do it: no fee, no capital, no filing by the holder. The bank deducts the tax on each movement; the credit is used over the 12 months of income tax advances or in the annual return.

Practical traps

Assuming the SME 100% carries forward. RG 3946/2016 art. 1 forbids carrying forward the unused remainder except for the amounts Reg. art. 13 authorises. The part above 33% appears to be lost if not used in the year (our reading; ARCA has not published one).
Missing paperwork. The cash carve out needs the SME certificate at each bank (RG 2111 art. 33); many exemptions need RG 3900 registration (RG 2111 art. 34).
Paying wages from a current account. The employee's exemption is on the receiving side (Law art. 2(c)); the employer's debit is taxed (RG 2111 Annex X, A.2).

FAQ

Is a bank account abroad taxed? No. Only accounts at entities governed by the Argentine Financial Entities Law are covered (Law art. 1(a)).

Do fintech payment accounts pay it? Yes, since 1 August 2021, at 0.6% each way with the same income tax credit (Reg. arts. 7 and 13, Decree 301/2021).

Can the tax be refunded? No. A loss making company carries the credit forward against income tax but cannot get it refunded, transferred or offset against other taxes (Reg. art. 13).

When does the tax end? On 31 December 2027 unless extended again (Law 27.702 art. 1); no extension or repeal is in the sources.