The Chilean Internal Revenue Service (SII) has officially opened the filing period for the 2026 income tax season, requiring millions of individuals and businesses to report all income earned during 2025.
Taxpayers have until April 30 to submit Form 22. The filing window opened in early April and covers a wide range of contributors, including those with multiple employers or significant annual earnings.
According to SII guidelines, individuals must file if they earned more than $11,265,804 in 2025, unless they had only one employer. The obligation also applies to those with multiple employers, freelance workers seeking social security coverage, and anyone who took out the 2021 Solidarity Loan.
New entrepreneurs who generated revenue through goods or services in 2025 are also required to participate. All companies must submit a declaration regardless of their size.
Penalties for non-compliance
Failure to meet the deadline or submitting inaccurate information carries heavy financial and legal risks. Cristóbal Pérez, a tax law academic at Universidad de los Andes, warned that the SII enforces various sanctions for late or fraudulent submissions.
While older regulations applied a fixed 2% monthly penalty, recent tax reforms have changed how interest is calculated. Pérez explained that the SII now determines penal interest based on market rates published by the Financial Market Commission (CMF), plus a 3.5% daily increase.
More severe consequences await those who provide intentionally false or incomplete data. "The law establishes that a fine of 100% to 300% of the defrauded tax value can be charged," Pérez said.
Beyond fines, the academic noted that criminal charges could lead to imprisonment. Under the Tax Code, filing malicious or fraudulent declarations can result in a sentence of 'presidio menor' in its maximum degree if a complaint is filed.
Even those not legally required to file may find benefits in doing so. The SII recommends voluntary filing for taxpayers seeking tax credits, such as those for mortgage dividends or education expenses. All filings must be completed through the SII website using either a Tax ID (Clave Tributaria) or a Unified ID (Clave Única).
